LADINS, MOCHENI AND CIMBRIANS FROM THE AUTONOMOUS PROVINCE OF TRENTO (ITALY): THE DIFFICULT BALANCE BETWEEN EXISTENCE AND CONSCIOUSNESS

The Ladin, Mocheno and Cimbrian communities, the three linguistic minorities officially recognized by the Autonomous Province of Trento (North-East Italy) are currently living a paradoxical situation: on the one hand, they enjoy a very high level of protection granted by the relevant national, regional and provincial authorities, especially since the Provincial Law 6 of June 18, 2008. However, on the other hand, their cultural heritage has never been so vulnerable due to the growing influence of the dominant culture and because of a certain disinterest for the language of minorities growing among the members of the communities. Their existence cannot be denied, but at the same time it seems that the awareness of belonging to a minority is diminishing. The aim of this article is to look at the balance between existence and awareness and to propose solutions in order to improve the relationship between external visibility and internal sense of belonging. This analysis will be based on the existing scholarship, the interviews carried out within the three communities and the participant observation of the main cultural events for Ladins, Mocheni and Cimbrians.