Kuens

Kuens (German: [ˈkuːəns]; Italian: Caines [ˈkaines]) is a comune (municipality) and a village in South Tyrol in northern Italy, located about 25 kilometres (16 mi) northwest of the city of Bolzano in the Passeier Valley.

Geography

As of 30 November 2010, it had a population of 399 and an area of 1.7 square kilometres (0.66 sq mi).

Kuens borders the following municipalities: Riffian, Schenna and Tirol.

History

In the early eighth century, Kuens became the site of a small monastery founded by Saint Corbinian, who had been struck by the area's beauty on the second of his journeys to Rome. He bought some properties and planted vineyards and orchards and considered the area a "spiritual homeland", so much so that he chose it as the site for his burial.

Coat-of-arms

The emblem represents a bishop (that is, Saint Corbinian) with a gules mantle, the mitre of Or and aureola; a pastoral staff of Or in his right hand. A brown bear, with a load tied up to her back, through the bishop. The emblem was adopted in 1968.