Page "Cimbri" Paragraph 35

A German ethnic minority have settled in the mountains between Vicenza, Verona and Trento in Italy ( also known as Seven Communities ) is also called the Cimbri (: it: Cimbri ( minoranza linguistica )).

For hundreds of years this isolated population consisting now of 4. 400 inhabitants, has claimed to be the direct descendant of the Cimbri retreating in this area after the Roman aftermath.

However it was more probably settlers from Bavaria in the Middle Ages.

Most linguists remains committed to the hypothesis of medieval ( 11th to 12th century ) immigration, to explain the presence of small German-speaking communities in the north of Italy.

Some genetic studies seem to prove a Celtic descendence of most inhabitants in the region, but not Germanic in fact, that is reinforced by the Gaulish toponyms such as those ending with the suffix-ago < Celtic -* ako ( n ) ( f. e.

Asiago is clearly the same place-name as the numerous Azay, Aisy, Azé, Ezy in France, all from * Asiacum < Gaulish * Asiāko ( n )).

The Cimbrian origin is a myth that was popularized by the humanists in the 14th century.