Merano (, , ) or Meran () is a city and comune in South Tyrol, northern Italy. Generally best known for its spa resorts, it is located within a basin, surrounded by mountains standing up to above sea level, at the entrance to the Passeier Valley and the Vinschgau. In the past, the city has been a popular place of residence for several scientists, literary people, and artists, including Franz Kafka, Ezra Pound, Paul Lazarsfeld, and also Empress Elisabeth of Austria, who appreciated its mild climate. Name Both the Italian () and the German () names for the city are used in English. The Ladin form of the name is . The official name of the municipality (comune) is Comune di Merano in Italian and Stadtgemeinde Meran in German (both are in official use). History In 17th-century Latin, the city was called Meranum. Other archaic names are Mairania (from 857 AD) and an der Meran (from the 15th century). Origin The area has been inhabited since the third millennium BC, as shown by the presence of menhirs and other findings. The story of the city proper began in 15 BC when the Romans occupied the Adige valley founding a road station, Statio Maiensis. The settlement was first mentioned in an 857 deed as Mairania. The Counts at Castle Tyrol elevated Merano to the status of a city during the 13th century and made it the capital of their County of Tyrol. After the county had been handed over to the Habsburg dynasty in 1363 upon the abdication of Margaret, Countess of Tyrol, in 1420 Duke Friedrich IV of Austria moved the Tyrolean court to Innsbruck. Though Merano remained the official capital until 1848, it subsequently lost its predominant position and almost all its importance as an economic hub across the roads connecting Italy and Germany. The important mint was also moved to Hall in 1477. Modern history The Tyrolean Rebellion of 1809 against the French occupation drew attention again to Merano. In that year, on the Küchelberg above the city, a peasants' army eked out a victory against the united French and Bavarian forces before their revolt was finally crushed. After World War I, under the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye Merano became part of the Kingdom of Italy with the rest of the southern part of the former Cisleithanian crown land of Tyrol. During the Nazi occupation of the region in