The Ladin-language name
Urtijëi, as well as its Italian equivalent
Ortisei, derive from a farmstead in the settlement center called
Ortiseyt (derives from the
Latin word and the
suffix , with the meaning "place of
nettles"), which is documented as early as the 13th century and is still attested in Bolzano records in 1497 as a place name (“
Hanns von Ortiseit”). The farm later appears in documents under the name
Mauriz and today is one of the oldest hotels in the valley. The German name
St. Ulrich, on the other hand, goes back to the Catholic parish of the town, which is dedicated to the Epiphany but also to
St. Ulrich, the patron saint of the place. The Ulrich patronage—a typical indicator of ownership—also recalls the medieval possessions of the episcopal church of Augsburg in the
Eisack Valley and Gröden area. Since the 17th century, a large part of the population of Urtijëi has been engaged in woodcarving, sacred sculpture, altar building, and the wooden toy industry. In the second half of the 19th century, Urtijëi was first discovered by mountaineers such as
Paul Grohmann. Winter tourism received decisive impetus from Emil Terschak, who lived in the town from 1893 to 1900. The
Gröden arts and crafts, especially woodcarving, are well known. For over two centuries, Urtijëi was regarded as an international center of woodcarving. At the turn of the 19th to the 20th century, sacred wood sculpture reached its artistic and economic peak at the art school in Urtijëi founded by Ferdinand Demetz, also thanks to the training of several artists from
Gröden at the academies in Vienna and Munich. With the
Second Vatican Council, sacred sculpture in Urtijëi suffered a severe setback. From 1860 to 1914, Urtijëi experienced a relevant economic growth due to the opening of a major road connecting Val Gardena to the main railroad; as a result the local woodcarving industry flourished. International tourism developed through the discovery of the Dolomites first by English tourists, and subsequently visitors from other parts of
Austria-Hungary as well as the
German Empire. Currently, the town's
economy is mostly based on winter
skiing tourism, summer
hiking tourism, and woodcarving. From the 1960s onward, only small figures, mostly machine-carved, found buyers—mainly in the German-speaking countries and in the United States. Until 1960, the town was connected to
Klausen by the
Val Gardena railway. The railway was built mainly by Russian prisoners of war, who were used as forced laborers during the First World War. In 1970, Urtijëi was the venue for the Alpine Ski World Championships.
Coat of arms The emblem shows
Saint Ulrich, with the bishop's vestments and a gold cross in his right hand, mounted on a horse, with gold harness and a blue saddle pad, on three green mountains on a gold field. The emblem is decorated with a blue
chief, with three small silver shields alternating with two golden bees; the bees symbolize the laboriousness of the inhabitants. The coat of arms was granted in 1907 and reappointed in 1970.
Blazon: Or, St Ulrich in bishops vestments with a cross Or in right hand, mounted on a white horse Proper with harness of the field and a saddle blanket Azure on a trimount Vert; On a chief Azure, two bees Or between three escutcheons Argent. ==Main sights==