Ladin is not the language of the Rhaetics. Ladin is a romanic language. The main influence on Ladin had Vulgar Latin, but there are some elements from the language of the Rhaetics. See i.e. Rhaeto-Romance languages. In the early Middle Ages  Bavarii and the Langobards came to Tyrol (North and South). And German became the main language and Ladin was only spoken in small valleys  (i.e.Gadertal/Val Badia, Grödnertal/Gherdëina) anymore. So Ladin is really older than German in the region, but not so old as some would like it. And Ladin is not Italian and no Italian dialect! In South Tyrol Ladin and German are the original languages spoken since the Middle Ages (and Ladin even longer). In Trentino Italian, Ladin (Fassatal/Fascia/Val di Fassa) and German (Cimbrian language). In the Austrian part of Tyrol Rhaeto-Romance languages were also spoken in the Middle Ages (early time). The parts of the Europaregion Tirol (Tyrol (Austria), South Tyrol, Trentino) have a common history since the Antiquity. By the way most soldiers from Trentino (also the Italian speaking) (and of course from the other parts of todays Europaregion, too) fought until the end of World War I for Austria-Hungary. And today is in Trentino also a feeling that they belong to a bigger historical and cultural region. So there is an active and growing Schützenwesen, i.e.-