The communities around Tarvisio have a very complex linguistic background.
The linguistic tradition dates back many centuries and includes Italian, German (including German dialects), Slovenian and Friulian.
The linguistic abilities of each individual naturally vary from person to person, resulting in a great variety of different combinations.
Tarvisio lies near the border with two other European countries: Austria and Slovenia.
Of course, there are a few other places that also border two countries, but Tarvisio is in the unique position of being at the centre of the conjunction of three European cultural dimensions: it is the meeting point for Germanic, Slavic and Latin cultures. As such, Tarvisio and the entire Val Canale has become a place for meeting and exchange, with a rich cultural and linguistic tradition.
The familiarity with the multi-lingual context that underlies the cultural and social fabric is a great strength.
The Resolution of the European Parliament of March 24th 2009 on “Multilingualism: An Asset for Europe and a Shared Committment” underlines the importance of the diffusion of multilingualism in schools and at work and promotes the inclusion into the education system of minority languages, border languages and those of neighbouring states.
After some turbulent times with neighbouring countries in the last century, recent years have proved that this multilingual conjunction of Italian, Slovenian, German and Friulian has been successful in overcoming all the historical and cultural barriers.