Merano

Historical map of the city and surrounding area (1888)

The area has been inhabited since the third millennium BC, as shown by the presence of menhirs and other findings. The story of the city proper began in 15 BC when the Romans occupied the Adige valley founding a road station, Statio Maiensis.

The settlement was first mentioned in an 857 deed as Mairania. The Counts at Castle Tyrol elevated Merano to the status of a city during the 13th century and made it the capital of their County of Tyrol. After the county had been handed over to the Habsburg dynasty in 1363 upon the abdication of Margaret, Countess of Tyrol, in 1420 Duke Friedrich IV of Austria moved the Tyrolean court to Innsbruck. Though Merano remained the official capital until 1848, it subsequently lost its predominant position and almost all its importance as an economic hub across the roads connecting Italy and Germany. The important mint was also moved to Hall in Tirol in 1477.[7]

The Tyrolean Rebellion of 1809 against the French occupation drew attention again to Merano. In that year, on the Küchelberg above the city, a peasants' army eked out a victory against the united French and Bavarian forces before their revolt was finally crushed. After World War I, under the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Merano became part of the Kingdom of Italy with the rest of the southern part of the former Cisleithanian crown land of Tyrol.

During the Nazi occupation of the region in 1943–5, the Meranese Jewish population was almost completely deported and murdered within concentration camps.[8]

The city's coat of arms on the Postbrücke (postal bridge)

The city's coat of arms depicts the red Tyrolean eagle sitting on a wall with four pieces of Ghibelline battlements and three arches that symbolize the city. The arms is known from the 14th century and the oldest seal dates from 1353, while the coloured one since 1390. In a 1759 image, the eagle is represented with a crown and a green wreath of honour. After World War I and the annexation of the city from Austria-Hungary to Italy, it was given a new coat of arms in 1928, which looked similar to the old one, but with five parts of the battlements and the arches with the gates opened on a lawn of shamrock. A mural crown was placed above the shield.[9] The five parts of the battlement represented the districts of Maia Bassa, Merano (old city), Maia Alta, Quarazze and Avelengo, which were incorporated into the city by the Italian fascists.[10] After World War II, Avelengo became independent again and the historical coat of arms was restored.[11][12]

The area is well known for its wines, both white and red, and vineyards extend right into the city. The local wine, Meraner Leiten (Meranese di collina), is a light red wine, best drunk young.[15] There are also extensive orchards, and apples are exported throughout Europe. The Forst Brewery on the edge of the city produces a popular range of beers, sold throughout Italy and Europe.

Christmas market Merano

Merano organizes the following events every year.

• Asfaltart
• Festival MeranOJazz
• Meraner Musikwochen
• Christmas market Merano
• Merano WineFestival

• Arbeo of Freising (died 784), early medieval author and bishop
• Johann Baptista Ruffini (1672–1749), salt trader

• Pius Zingerle (1801–1881), an Austrian Orientalist
• Ludwig Freiherr von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen (1815–1881 in Meran), a Bavarian general[16]
• Oskar Freiherr von Redwitz (1823–1891), a German poet, lived in Merano from 1872[17]
• Ignaz Vincenz Zingerle (1825–1892), poet and scholar[18]
• Peretz Smolenskin (1842–1885 in Meran), a Russian-born Zionist and Hebrew writer[19]
• Hermann von Tappeiner (1847–1927), physician and pharmacologist, used photodynamic therapy
• Sir Rudolf Carl von Slatin (1857–1932), soldier and Inspector General of Sudan[20]
• Ferdinand Behrens (1862-1925), painter and city portraitist[21]
• Leo Putz (1869–1940), Tyrolean painter
• Prince Emmanuel, Duke of Vendome (1872–1931), a French royal from the House of Orléans
• Prince Francis Joseph of Braganza (1879–1919), officer in the Austro-Hungarian Army and victim of sex scandals and swindles
• Richard Steidle (1881–1940 in Buchenwald), lawyer, leader of the paramilitary Heimwehr in Tyrol
• Erna Ellmenreich (1885–1976), operatic soprano, a member of the Staatstheater Stuttgart
• Oswald Menghin (1888–1973), university professor, prehistorians, minister of education
• Heinz von Perckhammer (1895–1965), photographer, known for his Chinese nudes
• Ludwig Bemelmans (1898–1962), American writer and illustrator of children's books

• Hans Andersag (1902–1955), scientist, discovered Chloroquine, a malaria drug
• Anton Malloth (1912–2002), supervisor at Theresienstadt concentration camp
• Silvius Magnago (1914–2010), politician, South Tyrolean governor, father of the autonomy of South Tyrol
• Annelies Reinhold (1917–2007), film actress[22]
• Bargil Pixner (1921–2002), a Benedictine monk, Biblical scholar and archaeologist
• Norbert Untersteiner (1926–2012), pioneer of modern polar science research
• Alberto Lizzio (1926–1999), fictitious conductor of inexpensive, mass market, classical recordings[23]
• Irène Galter (1931–2018), actress[24]
• Maria Bertolini (1931–2022), politician
• Arnaldo Di Benedetto (born 1940), literary critic and professor[25]
• Franco D'Andrea (born 1941), jazz pianist
• Lino Capolicchio (1943–2022), actor, screenwriter and film director[26]
• Cuno Tarfusser (born 1954), judge at the International Criminal Court[27]
• Gloria Guida (born 1955), Italian-speaking actress[28]
• Rudolf Stingel (born 1956), artist
• Ferdinand Gamper (1957–1996), serial killer
• Luca Dipierro (born 1973), illustrator and animator

• Norberto Oberburger (born 1960), retired heavyweight weightlifter, gold medallist at the 1984 Summer Olympics
• Edith Gufler (born 1962), former sport shooter, silver medallist at the 1984 Summer Olympics
• Günther Steiner (born 1965), motorsports engineer and team principal of Haas F1 Team
• Armin Zöggeler (born 1974), luge champion with six Olympic medals and nine world championship golds
• Dominik Paris (born 1989), alpine skier, gold and silver medallist in World Championships
• Daniel Frank (born 1994), ice hockey player
• Daniel Grassl (born 2002), figure skater at the 2022 Winter Olympics, silver medalist at the 2022 European Figure Skating Championships