Val Ferrera
Encyclopedia
The Ferrera Valley is a valley is the Swiss
canton of Graubünden
between Shams and Avers. It is 10 km long and is drained by the Avers Rhine
. The only villages in the valley are Innerferrera
and Ausserferrera
. Administratively, the municipality of Ferrera
coincides with the valley.
In the Early Modern period
, the Ferrera valley was known for its iron ore. The mining
industry provided its inhabitants with a livelihood. The Schmelzra mine at the entrance of the valley, is now an industrial heritage
site and has since 1972 been in the care of the cultural heritage management
of the Canton of Graubünden.
Until the 20th Century, a linguistic border separated the valley from Avers: in the Avers
valley, people spoke a Walser German
dialect, in the Ferrera valley, people spoke Romansh. In both valleys, the dominant religion was Calvinist.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
canton of Graubünden
Graubünden
Graubünden or Grisons is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. The canton shares borders with the cantons of Ticino, Uri, Glarus and St. Gallen and international borders with Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein...
between Shams and Avers. It is 10 km long and is drained by the Avers Rhine
Avers Rhine
The Avers Rhine is a tributary of the Hinterrhein in the Swiss Canton of Graubünden.- Course :It rises in Avers at the confluence of the Bergalgabach with the slightly smaller Jufer Rhine. The Jufer Rhine rises in, and is named after, Juf, the highest permanent settlement in Europe, near the...
. The only villages in the valley are Innerferrera
Innerferrera
Innerferrera is a village in the district of Hinterrhein in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. An independent municipality before, it merged on January 1, 2008 with neighboring Ausserferrera to form the municipality of Ferrera.-Geography:...
and Ausserferrera
Ausserferrera
Ausserferrera is a village in the district of Hinterrhein in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. An independent municipality before, it merged on January 1, 2008 with neighboring Innerferrera to form the municipality of Ferrera.-History:...
. Administratively, the municipality of Ferrera
Ferrera
Ferrera is a municipality in the district of Hinterrhein in the Grisons, Switzerland. It was formed on 1 January 2008 through the merger of Innerferrera and Ausserferrera...
coincides with the valley.
In the Early Modern period
Early modern period
In history, the early modern period of modern history follows the late Middle Ages. Although the chronological limits of the period are open to debate, the timeframe spans the period after the late portion of the Middle Ages through the beginning of the Age of Revolutions...
, the Ferrera valley was known for its iron ore. The mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
industry provided its inhabitants with a livelihood. The Schmelzra mine at the entrance of the valley, is now an industrial heritage
Industrial heritage
Industrial heritage is an aspect of cultural heritage dealing specifically with the buildings and artifacts of industry which are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations, often forming a significant attraction for tourism.The...
site and has since 1972 been in the care of the cultural heritage management
Cultural Heritage Management
Cultural heritage management is the vocation and practice of managing cultural heritage. It is a branch of cultural resources management , although it also draws on the practices of conservation, restoration, museology, archaeology, history and architecture...
of the Canton of Graubünden.
Until the 20th Century, a linguistic border separated the valley from Avers: in the Avers
Avers
Avers is a municipality in the district of Hinterrhein in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. It includes Juf, the highest-altitude year-round settlement in Europe.-History:...
valley, people spoke a Walser German
Walser German
The Walser language , also known as Walliser German , is a group of Highest Alemannic dialects spoken in Walser settlements in parts of Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, and Austria and in the German-speaking part of the Canton of Wallis , in the uppermost Rhône valley.The terms Walser and...
dialect, in the Ferrera valley, people spoke Romansh. In both valleys, the dominant religion was Calvinist.