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106-639: The Chur Rhine Valley is divided into three sub-regions: Climatically, the Chur Rhine Valley is one of the warmest and driest regions in the Canton of Grisons . It experiences föhn winds on a large number of days during the year. Most of the population speak Bündner German (in Chur the variant of Chur German ). In Rhäzüns and especially in Domat/Ems they also speak Romansh . In recent years,

212-643: A few valleys of the Swiss canton Grisons (most of which is today German -speaking). However, a Raetian origin for Romansch is uncertain, as Rhaeto-Romance languages appear most closely related to the Gallo-Romance group, strengthening the argument that at least some of the Raeti had adopted Celtic speech before Latinisation. The evidence suggests that the original Roman district of Raetia et Vindelicia, as established under Augustus, had as its eastern border (with

318-420: A fifth of the total area. The canton is almost entirely mountainous and it is the most sparsely populated region of the country. In its southeastern part lies the only official Swiss National Park . In its northern part, the mountains were formed as part of the thrust fault that was in 2008 declared a geologic UNESCO World Heritage Site , under the name Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona . Another Biosphere Reserve

424-546: A fight. On 24 January 1639, Jürg Jenatsch was killed during Carnival by an unknown attacker who was dressed as a bear. The attacker may have been a son of Pompeius Planta or an assassin hired by the local aristocracy. According to legend he was killed by the same axe that he used on Pompeius Planta. On 3 September 1639 the Leagues agreed with Spain to bring the Valtellina back under League sovereignty, but with

530-582: A full province with the official name of Raetia et Vindelicia (abbreviated to simply Raetia in the later 1st century), while the Poenine Valley ( Canton Valais , Switz.) was separated to join the province of Alpes Graiae . Raetia was governed by an equestrian procurator . According to the epigraphic record, the early Julio-Claudian period of the Roman Empire (30 BC - AD 37) saw the formation of at least 10 auxiliary infantry regiments from

636-428: A great number of other tourist resorts in the canton, divided by the official tourist board for winter sports for example into categories "Top - Large - Small and beautiful". St. Moritz is one of the oldest winter sport resorts, being popular in winter since 1864. The following year, Davos also saw its first tourists in winter. St. Moritz hosted the 1928 Winter Olympics and the 1948 Winter Olympics . Summer tourism

742-640: A large number of Alpine resort towns, notably Davos and St. Moritz . The canton is also renowned for its extensive narrow-gauge railway network, operated by the Rhaetian Railway , and linking the capital with most valleys of the Grisons. Formerly occupied by the Rhaeti , most of the lands of the canton became part of the Roman province called Raetia , which was established in 15 BC, with Curia ,

848-924: A long and straight valley, the Surselva, shut off from the lower plains by the Rhine Gorge . Its biggest tributaries are the rivers Glogn , Valser Rhine , Rabiusa , forming respectively the Val Lumnezia , the Vals Valley and the Safiental . The other one, the Posterior Rhine, notably collects the waters of the Avers Rhine and the Albula , which in turn collects the waters of the Gelgia and

954-459: A person named 'Rhaetian' for the quality of wine grapes from the region. It is assumed from the context that he accounts it to a single person, and not the people in general. It would suggest that Virgil accounted Rhaetus to be the god-father of the Rhaetian people. It has also been suggested that the name Raeti may be connected with Reitia , a major goddess who was revered in northeast Italy and

1060-787: A settlement dating back to the Pfyn culture , as capital city. The area later became part of the lands of the diocese of Chur . The late middle ages saw the foundation of the League of God's House , the Grey League and the League of the Ten Jurisdictions . In 1471 an alliance gave birth to the Three Leagues , and before the end of the 15th century, the latter became an ally of the Old Swiss Confederacy . In 1803

1166-471: Is both one of the highest and lowest cantons , and the second-highest when considering mean elevation. As a consequence, its topography is extremely rugged and many of the highest settlements in the country (and Europe) are found there, notably in the Upper Engadin. The mountains are numerous; well over 1,000 summits are in the canton. The highest is Piz Bernina , closely followed by numerous peaks in

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1272-578: Is also an important source of revenue. Trekking, mountaineering, and mountain biking are some of the main activities. Business tourism is also a source of revenue, notably in Davos , where the World Economic Forum meetings are traditionally organised. As the canton extends on both sides of the great Alpine barrier, many important mountain passes are found there, particularly on the north-south axis. Transport has always been an important issue in

1378-666: Is also wine production in the Rhine Valley, particularly in Fläsch , Maienfeld , Jenins and Malans . This area is referred to as the Bündner Herschaft. In the southern valleys of Mesolcina and Val Poschiavo there is corn ( maize ) and chestnut farming , allowed by the milder climate. In the Mesolcina, olive trees are also grown . 24 per cent of the workforce are employed in industry whereas 68 per cent work in

1484-416: Is an important part of local identity. In 2020 the canton had a population of 200,096. It is the least densely populated canton of Switzerland. The only sizable city in the canton is Chur, as the majority of the population lives in mountainous areas, including some of the most remote valleys of the country. One of the birthplaces of winter sports, the canton is a major tourist destination year-round, including

1590-614: Is attested in a number of inscriptions on votive tablets of the Veneti people. One Raetic votive tablet, from the same region, contains the word reithus , which may refer to this deity. The earliest mention of the Raeti in surviving ancient sources is in the Histories of Polybius , written before 146 BC. The Raeti, according to Pliny the Elder , were Etruscans driven into the Alps from

1696-540: Is culturally the most diverse region of Switzerland. Its common denominator, however, is a strong mountain culture marked by life in isolated rural communities, notably depicted in Johanna Spyri 's Heidi . Traditional customs include Alpine transhumance in spring and autumn, and the Chalandamarz at the end of winter. The canton has a large concentration of medieval castles (and ruins). The most notable, in

1802-471: Is deduced to have been spoken by the Raeti based on various sources of evidence. Even if Raetian was the ancestral language of the Raeti, there is considerable uncertainty as to how widely Raetian was spoken among the tribes by the time of Augustus (ruled 30 BC - AD 14). In the Alpine region as a whole, there is evidence that the non-Celtic elements had, by the time of Augustus, been assimilated significantly by

1908-434: Is followed by Davos , Landquart , Domat/Ems and St. Moritz , which are, however, far less populated. The canton is particularly renowned for its numerous Alpine resort towns, notably two of the aforementioned ones (Davos and St. Moritz), but also Klosters , Arosa , Lenzerheide , Disentis , Flims , Pontresina and Scuol . The diversity of the climate of the Grisons is high and comparable to that of Switzerland . In

2014-549: Is the Biosfera Val Müstair adjacent to the Swiss National Park, while Ela Nature Park is one of the regionally supported parks. The Grisons is sometimes included in the larger region of Eastern Switzerland , together with six other cantons. The Grisons shares border with numerous regions of Europe, reflecting its cultural diversity, and is the only canton adjacent to three different countries. On

2120-448: Is therefore supported by subsidies by the authorities both national and regional. Eight per cent of the population work in agriculture and forestry, where 50 per cent of the production is certified as organic. Agriculture includes forests and mountain pasturage in summer, particularly of cows, sheep and goats. Since wolf and bear have returned, the use of Maremma Sheepdogs is not unusual. Although mountain pastures are predominant, there

2226-603: Is uncertain due to scanty evidence. It is possible that their speech was also related to Etruscan, possibly a sub-group of Tyrsenian languages . Alternatively their language may have been Indo-European , akin to that of their close neighbours, the Celts or the Veneti (whose language shares several similarities with Latin and the Italic languages, but also has some affinities with other IE languages, especially Germanic and Celtic). In addition, it appears that "Raetia et Vindelicia"

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2332-451: The Albula and Bernina Landscapes. The gastronomy of the Grisons is mostly known for a dried-beef delicacy called Bündnerfleisch , often simply referred to as Grisons Meat. Other meat specialities include dried sausages (especially Salsiz , made of various meats), speck and ham. Cheeses produced in the Grisons are also numerous. Among notable dishes are the Capuns , predominantly made in

2438-773: The Bundesbrief of 23 September 1524. The last traces of the Bishop of Chur's jurisdiction were abolished in 1526. The Musso war of 1520 drove the Three Leagues closer to the Swiss Confederacy. Between 1618 and 1639 it became a battleground between competing factions during the Bündner Wirren . The Protestant party was supported by France and Venice , while the Catholic party was supported by

2544-708: The Camunni as a tribe of the Euganei people of northeast Italy, together with the Trumplini of the neighbouring valley, Val Trompia . However, neither of Pliny's comments is fatal to the identification of the Lepontii and Camunni as Raeti. The Lepontic language has been definitively classified as a distinct Continental Celtic language (e.g. Lejeune 1971, Koch 2008). As for the Euganei, their linguistic classification

2650-456: The Canton of Graubünden , is one of the twenty-six cantons of Switzerland . It has eleven districts, and its capital is Chur . The German name of the canton, Graubünden , translates as the "Grey Leagues", referring to the canton's origin in three local alliances, the Three Leagues . The other native names also refer to the Grey League : Grischùn in Sutsilvan , Grischun in

2756-902: The Cosuanetes and the Rucinates respectively in Augustus. However, the inscription text appears to identify the Rucinates as one of the 4 tribes of the Vindelici recorded as conquered. (But it is possible that the Strabo's Rucantii were actually another tribe, the Rugusci , in Augustus). Against Strabo, Pliny considers the Lepontii as a Celtic tribe akin to the Taurisci and classifies

2862-596: The Etruscans . Before the Roman conquest, they inhabited present-day Tyrol in Austria , eastern Switzerland and the Alpine regions of northeastern Italy. After the Roman conquest, the province of Raetia was formed, which included parts of present-day Germany south of the Danube . The etymology of the name Raeti is uncertain. The Roman province of Raetia was named after these people. Ancient sources characterise

2968-562: The Habsburgs in Spain and Austria. Each side sought to gain control of the Grisons to gain control over the important alpine passes. In 1618, the young radical Jörg Jenatsch became a member of the court of 'clerical overseers' and a leader of the anti-Habsburg faction. He supervised the torture to death of the arch-priest Nicolò Rusca of Sondrio . In response, Giacomo Robustelli of the pro-Catholic Planta family, raised an army of rebels in

3074-517: The Imperial Roman army in 15 BC and their territories annexed to the Roman empire . The Roman province of Raetia et Vindelicia was named after these two peoples. The Raeti tribes quickly became loyal subjects of the empire and contributed disproportionate numbers of recruits to the imperial Roman army 's auxiliary corps. The origin of the name Raeti is uncertain. It has similarities to

3180-751: The Landquart at the homonymous town , forming the Prätigau . The Engadin is entirely drained by the Inn and is the only valley in Switzerland in the Danube basin. The Inn is one of the longest rivers in the canton and forms an almost straight valley, from the Maloja Pass to Martina , with a change of direction near Zernez . Despite its length and numerous tributaries, only a few long rivers converge with

3286-873: The Landwasser . Similarly to the Anterior Rhine, the upper portion of the Posterior Rhine is also shut off from the plains by the Viamala Gorge. After the convergence with the Albula, the Posterior Rhine forms a wide valley, the Domleschg , until it meets its anterior counterpart. After that, the Rhine collects the water of two important rivers: the Plessur at Chur, forming the valley of the Schanfigg , and

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3392-1091: The Moesa , the Val Bregaglia , drained by the Mera , the Val Poschiavo , drained by the Poschiavino , and the Val Müstair , drained by the Rom . The first three are in the Po basin and the last one is in the Adige basin. While the first two (Mesolcina and Bregaglia) are contiguous to the region north of the Alps, through the San Bernardino Pass , and the Septimer Pass respectively, the three last ones (Bregaglia, Poschiavo and Müstair) are contiguous to

3498-539: The Müstair , the Lower Engadine and Prättigau valleys. The treaty also forbade the Protestant religion in these valleys. In response, in 1622, the Prättigau valley rebelled against the Austrians and drove them out of the valley. The Austrians invaded the valley twice more, attempting to reimpose the Catholic faith, in 1623–1624 and 1629–1631. In 1623 the Leagues entered into an alliance with France, Savoy and Venice. Jürg Jenatsch and Ulysses von Salis used French money to hire an 8,000-man mercenary army and drive out

3604-412: The Old Swiss Confederacy after the Habsburgs acquired the possessions of the extinct Toggenburg dynasty in 1496, siding with the Confederacy in the Swabian War three years later. The Habsburgs were defeated at Calven Gorge and Dornach , helping the Swiss Confederation and the allied leagues of the canton of the Grisons to be recognised. However the Three Leagues remained a loose association until

3710-406: The Ortler , the Rätikon , the Samnaun , the Sesvenna and the Silvretta ranges. The regions on the north side of the Alps are all drained by the Rhine and form an intricate network of valleys. The Rhine is both one of the longest rivers within the canton and the only one flowing directly into a sea. The sources of the Rhine are found in the west of the canton and form the Anterior Rhine and

3816-435: The Po Valley by invading Gauls . This account of Raeti origins is supported by the Augustan -era Roman historian Livy . If this historiography is correct, then the displacement from the Po valley would have taken place in the period 600–400 BC, when major migrations of Celtic tribes from Gaul resulted in the Celtisation of that entire region. But the traditional "migration theory" espoused by classical authors and, until

3922-536: The Posterior Rhine . These two rivers converge at Reichenau to form the Rhine in the strict sense of the term. Just after the convergence, the valley opens and its floor constitutes the flattest plains of the canton, from Domat/Ems to Fläsch at the St. Gallen border. In the area around Chur , at the foot of the Calanda , the Rhine progressively changes its direction, from eastward to northward. The Anterior Rhine and Posterior Rhine include numerous tributaries as well before their own convergence. The former constitutes

4028-499: The Raetian language , an extinct tongue known only from a series of inscriptions, written in a variant of the Etruscan alphabet . This tongue is commonly regarded by most philologists to be related to Etruscan, a non- Indo-European language which is best documented in the central Italian regions of Tuscany , northern Latium and western Umbria , and also in other Italian regions of Emilia-Romagna , Campania and Lombardy . The language has been called "Raetian" by linguists because it

4134-431: The Valtellina . On the evening of 18/19 July 1620, a force of Valtellina rebels supported by Austrian and Italian troops marched into Tirano and began killing Protestants. When they finished in Tirano, they marched to Teglio , Sondrio and further down the valley killing every Protestant that they found. Between 500 and 600 people were killed on that night and in the following four days. The attack drove nearly all

4240-423: The endonym of the Etruscans: Rasenna , the root of which appears to be Etruscan rasna "the people". However, it is unclear whether the Rhaetians had a similar endonym or if Raeti is an exonym (a name used by outsiders to describe the Rhaetians). The Roman geographer Pliny the Elder , writing in AD 70, suggests that the people were named after "Raetus", a leader at the time of their supposed "expulsion" from

4346-443: The enfranchisement of foreign residents at a municipal level, at discretion of the local governments. In 2009, the municipality of Bregaglia became the first in the canton to make use of this provision, granting voting rights to foreigners. as of January 2017 There are 114 municipalities in the canton (as of January 2016 ). The inhabitants of the Grisons are called Bündner or (rarely) Grisonians. The population of

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4452-399: The five drainage basins of the country . The north of the canton is drained by the Rhine (ending in the North Sea), the south by the Po and Adige through several affluents (Mediterranean Sea), and the Engadin by the Danube through the Inn (Black Sea). The Grisons lies fully within the Alps, with elevations above sea-level ranging from 260 to 4,049 metres (853 to 13,284 ft). It

4558-410: The homonymous range . Other prominent mountains are Piz Russein , Piz Kesch , Calanda , Aroser Rothorn and Rheinwaldhorn , see list of mountains of Graubünden for a more exhaustive list. The canton includes numerous subranges of the Alps other than the Bernina. These are the Albula , the Bregaglia , the Glarus , the Gotthard , the Lepontine , the Livigno , the Plessur , the Oberhalbstein ,

4664-407: The 1960s, by most modern scholars, is no longer considered the only possible explanation for socio-linguistic change. It is just as likely that the Raeti, if they spoke an Etruscan-like language, were Alpine indigenes who had spoken it as long as, if not longer than, the Etruscans of Etruria - especially if, as most scholars believe, Etruscan represents the pre-Indo-European base language of Italy and

4770-463: The Alps and several natural and cultural regions. The diversity of the canton is often compared to that of Switzerland as a whole and warrants it the name of "Little Switzerland". The Grisons is bordered by four cantons as well as Austria , Italy and Liechtenstein . The state is the only trilingual canton of Switzerland. It is also the only one where Romansh , Switzerland's fourth national language, has official status. Romansh language and culture

4876-404: The Alps from around 1816, one of which is still in a very good historical condition as this connection across Splügen Pass lost its importance after the opening of rail tunnels crossing the alps. The last valley to be connected to the road system in the Grisons was Avers , whose remote hamlet of Juf was only reached in 1897. After the Swiss Post expanded their Postal Bus transport services,

4982-458: The Alps, except for an area in the Aosta Valley in Italy, Parco Nazionale Gran Paradiso. Similarly, it reintroduced the bearded vulture and lynx in the 21st century, which had been extinguished, though the lynx remains rare. Rhaetian people The Raeti ( / ˈ r iː t aɪ / REE -ty ; spelling variants: Rhaeti , Rheti or Rhaetii ) were a confederation of Alpine tribes, whose language and culture were related to those of

5088-440: The Alps. Alternatively, if the Alpine indigenes previously spoke a language unrelated to Etruscan, they may have adopted Etruscan through processes other than mass immigration e.g. through cultural interchange with the Etruscans of the Po valley, or as a result of "elite-transfer" by an Etruscan elite that acquired political hegemony over the Alpine tribes. The Raeti are believed by many scholars to have spoken, originally at least,

5194-444: The Alps. But in contrast to those (and all other cantons), it fully extends on both sides of the great Alpine barrier, from the northern plains at Maienfeld to the southern plains at Roveredo . However, a large portion of the canton is neither clearly north nor south of the Alps, it is the Engadin (the "garden of the Inn"), a large inner Alpine valley oriented towards eastern Europe. Therefore there are parts of this canton in four of

5300-399: The Austrians. The peace treaty of Monzon (5 March 1626) between France and Spain, confirmed the political and religious independence of the Valtellina. In 1627 the French withdrew from the Valtellina valley, which was then occupied by Papal troops. Starting in 1631 the League, under the French Duke Henri de Rohan, started to expel the Spaniards. However, Richelieu still did not want to hand

5406-399: The Bündner Herrschaft. In the vineyards between Fläsch and Malans, 42 types of vines are found, Pinot Noir being the most popular. Wines are also naturally produced in the southern valleys but in smaller quantities. The valley of the Mesolcina is contiguous with the Ticino wine region and that of Poschiavo is contiguous with the Valtellina wine region . Numerous breweries can be found in

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5512-401: The Chur Rhine Valley in terms of cultural and natural history. 46°58′39″N 9°33′26″E  /  46.977441°N 9.557247°E  / 46.977441; 9.557247 Canton of Grisons The Grisons ( / ɡ r iː ˈ z ɒ̃ / ; French: [ɡʁizɔ̃] ) or Graubünden ( German: [ɡraʊˈbʏndn̩] ), more formally the Canton of the Grisons or

5618-440: The Confederation in 1996, meaning that Romansh speakers may use Romansh for correspondence with the federal government and expect to receive a response in Rumantsch Grischun. Romansh has official language status at the canton level. Municipalities in turn are free to specify their own official languages. Agriculture is still essential to keep remote valleys inhabited and cultivated , differing it from sheer wilderness . Agriculture

5724-427: The Danube and the Alps was occupied by Vindelici, with the Raeti confined to the Alps themselves. The latter view accords with Strabo, who records that the territory occupied by the Raeti tribes stretched from the upper reaches of the river Rhine in northern Switzerland to as far south as the cities of Como and Verona in northern Italy. The Raeti were bounded in the East by the Celtic Taurisci of Noricum and in

5830-423: The Engadin, is that of Tarasp , guarding the Inn valley. Many ruins and castles are found in the Domleschg area. Close by lies the church of Zillis , where 1130/40 a famous romanesque illustrated ceiling was added which is now treated as national heritage. Three World Heritage Sites are located in the canton: the Benedictine Convent of Saint John , the Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona and the Rhaetian Railway in

5936-469: The Engadin, through the Maloja Pass , the Bernina Pass , and the Ofen Pass . Although no large bodies of water are found in the canton, numerous mountain lakes (above 800 m elevation) dot the landscape, some of them being used as reservoirs for hydroelectricity production. The largest natural lakes are Lake Sils , Lake Silvaplana , Lago di Poschiavo and Lake St. Moritz (all in Upper Engadin except that of Poschiavo). Artificial lakes are more numerous,

6042-414: The Grisons does not benefit from major railway axes across the Alps such as the Lötschberg and Gotthard . As a consequence, the only standard gauge railway in the canton is that of the Rhine Valley, ending at Chur station . Conversely, the latter has become a major railway station and a transport hub of the canton since the construction of the Rhaetian Railway , which links most regions of the canton from

6148-454: The Grisons, last revised on 14 September 2003, states in its preamble that the canton's purpose is to "safeguard freedom, peace, and human dignity, ensure democracy and the Rechtsstaat , promote prosperity and social justice and preserving a sane environment for the future generations, with the intention of promoting trilingualism and cultural variety and conserving them as part of our historical heritage". The constitution allows for

6254-497: The Inn. These are the Flaz (forming the Val Bernina), the Spöl (forming the Val da Spöl) and the Clemgia (forming the Val S-charl ). In the lower part of the Engadin is also the side valley of Samnaun . The main passes connecting the Engadin with the northern Grisons are (from west to east): the Julier Pass , the Albula Pass and the Flüela Pass . The valleys on the south side of the Alps are not contiguous to each other and form four distinct regions. The Mesolcina , drained by

6360-430: The North, the Vindelici , who are regarded by most historians to have been Celtic - speakers. The territories of the two peoples were combined for administrative purposes from an early stage and eventually, under the emperor Claudius (ruled 41-54), as the province of Raetia et Vindelicia . In addition, a pair of joint Raetorum et Vindelicorum auxiliary cohorts were established under Augustus. Further support for

6466-478: The Po Valley. However, eponymous founders were a common, demonstrably fabricated, origin story. (The most famous illustration of this theory is the legend that the City of Rome derives its name from Romulus , its supposed founder, while if Romulus ever existed at all (which most scholars doubt), then it would be far more likely that he derived his own name from an existing place name Roma , rather than vice versa.). Virgil [70 BC-19 BC] in his Georgics II praises

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6572-444: The Protestant faction and they assembled a poorly led and disorganized army to retake the Valtellina and other subject lands. However, the army fell apart before they could attack a single Catholic town. This Protestant invasion provided the Spanish and Austrians with an excuse to invade the Leagues. By the end of October, Spain and Austria had occupied all of the Grisons. The resulting peace treaty of January 1622, forced Grisons to cede

6678-422: The Protestants out of the valley, prevented further Protestant incursions and took the Valtellina out of the Three Leagues. In response, in February 1621, Jenatsch led a force of anti-Habsburg troops to attack Rietberg Castle , the home of a leader of the pro-Catholic faction, Pompeius Planta. They surprised Planta and according to legend he was killed by Jörg Jenatsch with an axe. The murder of Planta encouraged

6784-412: The Raeti as Etruscan people who were displaced from the Po valley by the Gauls and took refuge in the valleys of the Alps. But it is likely that they were predominantly indigenous Alpine people. Their language, the so-called Raetian language , was probably related to Etruscan, but may not have derived from it. At least some of the Raeti tribes (those in northeastern Italy) probably continued to speak

6890-422: The Raetian language as late as the 3rd century AD. Others (those in Switzerland) were probably Celtic -speaking by the era of the Roman emperor Augustus (ruled 30 BC – AD 14). The Raeti were divided into numerous tribes, but only some of these are clearly identified in the ancient sources. The Raeti tribes, together with those of their Celtic-speaking neighbours to the north, the Vindelici , were subjugated by

6996-415: The Rhaetian Railway and a large number of PostBus routes. The Albula Line became a UNESCO world heritage as did the Bernina Railway , the highest and only railway to cross the Alps without the use of a tunnel at the pass. In winter some of the road passes are closed whereas several high mountain passes such as the Julier , Bernina and Lukmanier are kept open all winter (subject to restrictions). Being

7102-438: The Rhine Valley. Huge efforts ensure public transport to (nearly) every settlement by an integrated timetable of different transport companies. Even Juf, inhabited by some 30 people only but holding a European record , is reached five times a day by public transport. The two main transport companies are PostBus , the national post bus company, and the Rhaetian Railway, essentially owned by the cantonal government. The latter uses

7208-483: The Roman Empire, and therefore do not feature on the Tropaeum Alpium. The Tabula clesiana for instance mentions the Anauni , Sinduni and Tulliasses . Taking those that did get named that inhabited the territories of Raetia et Vindelicia province and Venetia et Histria regio of N. Italy, and eliminating those tribes considered probably Celtic by scholars ( Medulli , Ucenni , Caturiges , Brigiani , Sogionti , Ceutrones , Uberi , Nantuates , Sedunes , Veragri ),

7314-400: The South, its border with the Italian regiones (administrative districts) of Gallia Transpadana and Venetia et Histria was roughly similar to the northern border of present-day Italy. The Vindelici were, according to Ptolemy, confined to the East of the river Licca ( Lech ), while West of that river, upper Bavaria was inhabited by Raeti. A contrary view is that the whole region between

7420-401: The Three Leagues finally became one of the cantons of the Confederation. The Grisons is Switzerland's largest and at the same time easternmost canton. Its geography, essentially marked by the Alps , is complex and encompasses a wide range of climates and ecosystems. It is one of the three large southern Alpine cantons, along with Ticino and Valais , which include regions on the south side of

7526-417: The West by the Helvetii . Although the ancient sources concur in ascribing an Etruscan origin to the Raeti, they are less clear as to precisely which tribes attested in the region known as Raetia could be classified as Raeti (and whether such a classification was based on geographical location or language or cultural factors). In addition, there are considerable discrepancies in the names of tribes given by

7632-629: The abundance of Celtic toponyms in the Rhaetian territory leads to the conclusion that, by the time of the Roman conquest, many of the Rhaetians were heavily Celticized. During the centuries of Roman rule, the Raeti became predominantly Latin -speakers. It has been suggested that a surviving relic of the Raeti's Latin speech is the Rhaeto-Romance languages , which includes the Ladin , Friulian and Romanssh languages. Romansch survives today in

7738-476: The area; cart tracks from the Roman era were found on Julier Pass and Septimer Pass was rebuilt for cart use in 1387 and, although it later became unimportant, it is still in its 1800 form (for hikers only). Corniche paths were necessary for long stretches, and gorges such as the Viamala gave construction problems for any kind of transport. The first real roads of 3.7 m (4 yd) width were built across

7844-471: The canton (as of 31 December 2020) is 200,096. As of 2007 , the population included 28,008 foreigners, or about 14.84% of the total population. The main religions are Catholicism and Protestantism . Both are well represented in the canton, with Roman Catholics forming a slight plurality (47% Catholic to 41% Protestant). The Grisons is the only canton of Switzerland with three official languages: German (74.7%), Romansh (13.9%), and Italian (13.9%) with

7950-645: The canton as well. The largest, located at Chur, is Calanda Bräu . Radiotelevisiun Svizra Rumantscha is the Romansh-speaking division of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation and focuses on the Grisons. Die Südostschweiz (in German) and La Quotidiana (Romansh) are some of the most important written media of the region. The Grisons successfully reintroduced ibex in the early 20th century after it had all but died out from

8056-576: The following list of possible Raeti tribes results: The Raeti, together with their probably Celtic neighbours to the North, the Vindelici , were subdued by the Roman emperor Augustus ' stepsons and senior military commanders Tiberius and Drusus in a two-pronged campaign in 15 BC. Until ca. AD 100, the region was garrisoned, on its western edge (at Vindonissa from ca. AD 15), by at least one Roman legion (probably legio XIX until AD 9, when it

8162-512: The former Toggenburg countship , as the dynasty of Toggenburg had become extinct. The league was called League of the Ten Jurisdictions ( Zehngerichtebund ). The first step towards the canton of the Grisons was when the league of the Ten Jurisdictions allied with the League of God's House in 1450. In 1471 the two leagues allied with the Grey League. In 1497 and 1498 the Leagues allied with

8268-418: The highest elevated state in Switzerland, the Grisons hosts huge alpine areas that are not accessible by any means of transport but have to be walked to. A large number of cable transport facilities provide easy access to some of the mountains of the Grisons, the highest being on Piz Corvatsch . The Engadin valley has its own airport, Samedan Airport . It is the highest airport in Switzerland. The Grisons

8374-541: The hypothesis that the northern Raeti tribes converted to Celtic speech before the Roman imperial era is provided by the distribution of Raetian inscriptions. These have been found mostly in northeastern Italy: South Tyrol , Trentino , and the Veneto region. The Raetic inscriptions indicate that Raetian survived as late as the 3rd century AD, suggesting the existence at that time of Raeti tribes, at least in northeast Italy, which had not converted to Celtic speech. In addition,

8480-409: The influx of Celtic tribes and had adopted Celtic speech. According to Livy , the "sound" of the Raeti's original Etruscan tongue ( sonum linguae ) had become corrupted as a result of inhabiting the Alps. This may indicate that at least some of the tribes lost their ancestral Raetic tongue to Celtic. Celticisation also finds support in the Roman practice of twinning the Raeti with their neighbours to

8586-462: The initial conquest. The Raeti (and the Vindelici) were obliged to pay taxes to Rome. However, their combined territory was initially organised not as a full Roman province but a military district under a Roman equestrian officer, attested as " praefectus of the Raeti, Vindelici and the Poenine Valley". It was apparently not before emperor Claudius (ruled 41-54), that the district became

8692-456: The lands of the canton were once part of a Roman province called Raetia , which was established in 15 BC. The current capital of the Grisons, Chur , was known as Curia in Roman times. The area later was part of the lands of the diocese of Chur . In 1367 the League of God's House ( Cadi , Gottes Haus , Ca' di Dio ) was founded to resist the rising power of the Bishop of Chur . This

8798-402: The largest (over 100 ha) being Lago di Livigno , Lago di Lei , Lai da Sontga Maria , Zervreilasee , Lago Bianco , Lai da Marmorera and Lägh da l'Albigna . The total number of lakes has been estimated to 600. See list of mountain lakes of Switzerland for a more exhaustive list. Unlike other large cantons, the Grisons includes very few cities. The largest (and capital city) is Chur . It

8904-576: The largest narrow-gauge railway network in Switzerland and serves most regions of the canton, with branches towards Central Switzerland and Italy. This network is notably travelled by two of the longest distance trains of Switzerland: the Glacier Express and the Bernina Express . The Swiss Federal Railways extend only a few kilometres into the canton, from Maienfeld, and serve essentially Landquart and Chur, where passengers transfer to

9010-418: The legislature of the canton, sits in Chur, the cantonal capital. Its 120 members, elected in 39 districts using a majority system , are in office for four years. The last district elections were in 2014. The cantonal government, exercising executive authority, is made up of five members, elected by the people for a term of four years and limited to three terms using a majority system . The constitution of

9116-478: The majority of the population. Romansh consists of five dialect groups, each with its own written language: Sursilvan , Vallader , Puter , Surmiran and Sutsilvan . There also exists a common written language called Rumantsch Grischun . Romansh has been recognized as one of four "national languages" by the Swiss Federal Constitution since 1938. It was declared an "official language" of

9222-686: The national level it shares borders with four other cantons: Uri , Glarus , St. Gallen to the northwest (essentially across the Glarus Alps) and Ticino to the west (essentially across the Gotthard Massif and the Lepontine Alps but also at the level of the plain at Roveredo). On the international level, the canton shares borders with three countries: Liechtenstein to the north, the Austrian regions of Vorarlberg and Tyrol to

9328-523: The northeast and the Italian regions of Trentino-South Tyrol and Lombardy to the east and south. The deep Alpine valleys of the present-day Grisons were originally settled by the Raetians ( Rhaeti ). In Chur, archaeological evidence of settlement goes back as far as the Pfyn culture (3900–3500 BC), making the capital city of the Grisons one of the oldest settlements in Switzerland. Most of

9434-519: The other forms of Romansh , and Grigioni in Italian . Rhaetia is the Latin name for the area. The Alpine ibex is the canton's heraldic symbol. The largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland, it is also one of the three large southern Alpine cantons, along with Valais and Ticino . It is the most diverse canton in terms of natural and cultural geography, as it encompasses both sides of

9540-649: The promise to respect the free exercise of the Catholic faith. Treaties with Austria in 1649 and 1652, brought the Müstair and Lower Engadine valleys back under the authority of the Three Leagues. In 1798, the lands of the canton of the Grisons became part of the Helvetic Republic as the canton of Raetia except Valtellina , which was separated in 1797 for joining the Cisalpine Republic . It

9646-487: The province of Noricum ) the river Aenus ( Inn ) from its confluence with the Danube as far South as, and then by the river Isarcus ( Eisack ). Its northern border with the "free" German tribes was defined by the course of the upper Danube. On the West, Raetia et Vindelicia included the whole of Lake Constance and the upper Rhine valley and then a long tract westwards along the upper Rhone valley as far as Lake Leman . To

9752-529: The region's inhabitants became more used to motorized traffic. In 1925, there were already 250 vehicles in service. Eventually, the inhabitants of the Grisons gave up their resistance against individual motor traffic in 1926, In 1967 opened San Bernardino road tunnel , built to host tourism traffic, is used also by heavy goods vehicles nowadays although not really suitable for them because of its ascent gradients. Most other passes have lost their importance for goods transport nowadays. Unlike Valais and Ticino ,

9858-511: The remaining 13% speaking another language natively. More speakers of the Romansh language live in the Grisons than in any other canton, although it has become a minority language there. Since the late Middle Ages the Romansh language has greatly reduced (by more than half the original territory, that included Liechtenstein and sections of western Austria ) the area where it is spoken by

9964-470: The service industry. The most industrialized region is naturally that of Chur. Ems-Chemie is based in Domat/Ems and is a major employer in the area. The tourism industry is a major player and reaches a remarkable 14 per cent of the GDP. Tourism is concentrated around the towns of Davos , Klosters , Lenzerheide , Arosa , Flims , St. Moritz and Pontresina , which have large ski areas. There are, however,

10070-854: The settlements of the Chur Rhine Valley have increasingly grown together into an urban region around the central town of Chur. Regional daily newspapers in the area are the Bündner Tagblatt and Südostschweiz . In the Bündner Herrschaft, the local papers are the Prättigauer und Herrschäftler and in the southern part of the Bündner Rhine Valley, the Ruinaulta (called the Rhiiblatt until late 2013). The periodicals, Terra Grischuna and Rheinfluss , deal with

10176-533: The sources. Some locations of the tribes recorded are uncertain, although most have been established securely by placename and personal-name evidence. Strabo names the Lepontii , Camunni (who gave their name to the Val Camonica , Lombardy , Italy), Cotuantii and Rucantii as Raeti tribes. Of these, the first two are listed with the same spelling in Augustus' inscription while the latter two are probably

10282-545: The southernmost and lowest regions, vineyards and olives are grown, while on the highest summits, snow is found year-round. The inner valleys, particularly the Engadin, are significantly drier than the north and south side of the Alps, being sheltered by the high mountains of the range. On the south side of the Alps, Grono is one of the top warmest places in the country with an average of 12.4 °C (54.3 °F). The nationwide record temperature of 41.5 °C (106.7 °F)

10388-629: The valley of Poschiavo . They consist of buckwheat noodles, cooked with potatoes, vegetables and cheese. The emblematic dessert of the Grisons is the Bündner Nusstorte . It is essentially a shortcrust pastry filled with a mix of caramelized walnuts and honey. Another similar pastry, but containing chestnuts instead, the Torta di Castagne, is made in the southern valleys, especially in the Val Bregaglia. Wines are essentially produced in

10494-475: The valley over to its residents. When it became clear that the French intended to remain permanently in the Leagues, but would not force the Valtellina to convert to Protestantism, Jürg Jenatsch (now a mercenary leader) converted in 1635 to the Catholic faith. In 1637, he rebelled and allied with Austria and Spain. His rebellion along with the rebellion of 31 other League officers forced the French to withdraw without

10600-475: The western part of the Grisons. Capuns consist of hearty dumplings with pieces of meat wrapped in chard leaves, then gratinated in oven with cheese and cream. The Maluns are another well-known dish of the Grisons. They are made of boiled potatoes mixed with flour, then fried in butter. Maluns are typically served with a compote of apples and various other local products such as cheeses and meat specialities. The Pizzoccheri are another dish, essentially eaten in

10706-444: Was also inhabited by a number of non-Raetic tribes. The Breuni and Genauni are classified as Illyrian by Strabo, while a number of tribes in the region have plausible Celtic etymologies: e.g. Caturiges from catu- ("fight" or "warriors") and Nantuates from nantu- ("valley") respectively. The Tropaeum Alpium inscription contains the names of 45 Alpine tribes. The Raetic tribes south of Meran were peacefully integrated into

10812-523: Was destroyed in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ). In addition, Roman auxiliary forces and leves armaturae ("light troops", probably a local militia) were stationed there. But these forces were mainly for security against external threats, not internal unrest. Strabo wrote that the Alpine tribes as a whole adapted easily to Roman rule and had not rebelled in the 33 years that had elapsed since

10918-476: Was followed by the establishment of the Grey League ( Grauer Bund ), sometimes called Oberbund , in 1395 in the Upper Rhine valley. The name Grey League is derived from the homespun grey clothes worn by the people and was used exclusively after 16 March 1424. The name of this league later gave its name to the canton of the Grisons. A third league was established in 1436 by the people of ten bailiwicks in

11024-694: Was later part of the Empire of Austria in 1814 before joining the Kingdom of Italy in 1859. With the Act of Mediation the "perpetual ally" of Switzerland became a canton in 1803. The constitution of the canton dates from 1892. In the following century, there have been about 30 changes made to the constitution. The arms of the three original leagues were combined into the modern cantonal coat of arms in 1933. The Grand Council ( German : Grosser Rat ; Italian : Gran Consiglio , Romansh : Cussegl Grond ),

11130-432: Was registered there. The low-elevation region of Chur, including the Bündner Herrschaft, experiences naturally less harsh temperatures with an average of 10.0 °C (50.0 °F). The area of the Grisons is 7,105.2 square kilometres (2,743.3 sq mi), 19.2% larger than the canton of Bern , the second largest canton. Only about a third of this is commonly regarded as productive land of which forests cover about

11236-608: Was registered there. The southern valleys are also significantly wetter than the rest of the canton (1,476 mm of rain in Grono, 849 mm in Chur, and 705 mm in Scuol). The coldest places are naturally at high elevations, such as on Piz Corvatsch . The localities of the Upper Engadin are amongst the coldest inhabited regions in the country, notably Samedan with an average temperature of 2.0 °C (35.6 °F). The cantonwide record-low temperature of −37.9 °C (−36.2 °F)

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