Valentini (ancient people)

The Valentini were an ancient people inhabiting the Alpine region, specifically the area around the Adige (Etsch) valley in what is now northern Italy. Their precise origins and ethnic affiliations are not definitively known, and information about them is relatively scarce and fragmented, primarily gleaned from Roman sources.

They are often grouped with other Raetian tribes or considered a Raetian people, although the term "Raetian" itself encompasses a collection of different groups with linguistic and cultural connections. The Raetians, including the Valentini, are believed to have spoken a language related to Etruscan.

The Valentini were conquered by the Romans in the 1st century BC during the Roman expansion into the Alpine regions. After Roman conquest, their territory became integrated into the Roman province of Raetia and later Raetia et Vindelicia. They gradually adopted Roman culture and language, eventually becoming Romanized.

References to the Valentini are found in the writings of ancient historians and geographers like Pliny the Elder. Their name is preserved in some place names within their former territory, though tracing direct linguistic descent is challenging due to the limited surviving evidence of their language. The primary sources remain inscriptions and incidental mentions in the works of classical authors describing the Roman conquest of the Alpine peoples.