Cësa

Ortisei is the most populated district in Val Gardena, South Tyrol, and it is one of the few places where the Ladin language and culture are still preserved and alive. Here, 84% of inhabitants are part of the Ladin linguistic group, but in the whole region they are just the 4,5% of the entire population. The 69,4% declares themselves German speaking, while 26% have Italian as their mother tongue.

The territory hosts 0,9% of all migrants in Italy, and they are assigned to thirty refuges spread all over the region. Casa Sole is the refuge of Ortisei managed by the association Volontarius NPO. It hosts twenty-five asylum seekers. Some of them come from sub-Saharan francophone countries, while others are Kurds and Somalis.

The whole procedure of applying for international protection can last more than a year. However, in the meantime, the asylum-seekers have the possibility to work, volunteer, join Italian and German language courses, to attend local schools and a first aid class held by Italian Red Cross. Good language knowledge, a work or an actual integration in the local society can all be key factors in obtaining asylum or protection for humanitarian reasons.

This story is about Casa Sole’s guests and the place that they now call cësa.
In Val Gardena’s Ladin, cësa means “home”.