Parthie bei Meran in Tirol.

Title

Parthie bei Meran in Tirol.

Description

Decorative view of an idyllic farm house at a lake, a typical scene of the landcscape near Meran in Tirol.

ca. 1830

Artist

Anonymus

Historical Description

Merano itself was first mentioned in 857 as Mairania. In the 12th century at the latest, Merano became the center of the County of Tyrol. At the end of the 14th century, Merano was granted numerous princely privileges by Leopold III to promote trade. In 1445 the famous minnesinger Oswald von Wolkenstein, who was visiting Merano, died in the sovereign's castle. With the move of the sovereign Frederick "with the empty pocket" to Innsbruck in 1420, as well as the rise of the Brenner Pass to the most important trade route across the Eastern Alps as a result of the construction of the Kuntersweg, Merano quickly lost its pre-eminence and its importance as an economic center. The transfer of the provincial mint by his successor Duke Sigmund to Hall in the Inn Valley around 1475 also weakened Merano's position. It was not until the Tyrolean freedom fights of 1809 that Merano again became the center of attention: on the Küchelberg above Merano, the Tyroleans won a victory over the French and the Bavarians. In 1855 Merano became a health resort, nobles and the upscale bourgeoisie came in ever greater numbers.