• Acquario: it is the only aquarium in Trentino Alto Adige in which it is possible to sea alpine and tropical fish in their environment. There are 25 basins that represent, following precise rules, the Mediterranean and tropical environment. There are around 500 species.
• Castello del Buonconsiglio: this castle was built in XIII century; it was the residence of the Bishops (governing the town) until 1803, even if it had been built as a defence fortress. The southern part of the castle includes a palace called Magno Palazzo, built in 1528 and ordered by Bishop Bernardo Clesio; it contains wonderful mythological frescoes by Gerolamo Romanino (1531/1532). Another important part is Castelvecchio, built in XIII century. There is also a beautiful tower, Torre dell’Aquila, with some paintings made probably around 1400, portraying the months. They are a very important example in Europe of international Gothic style. The author is unknown and portrays each month painting the life of the court and the life of population. In the jails of the castle rebels Cesare Battisti, Damiano Chiesa and Fabio Filzi were imprisoned during the First World War (three marble plates are on the place where they were hanged).
• Piazza del Duomo: this square was used during Roman times as a market or a forum. In the middle there is the beautiful fountain portraying Neptune. On the sides of the square there are two beautiful houses: "Case Rella" or "Del Duomo". They are richly decorated by a painter from Vicenza, Fogolino, around 1530, because he had to thank the owner of the houses (it is a legend).
• Palazzo Pretorio: this Middle Ages palace contains Museo Diocesano Tridentino, a museum dedicated to sacred art, with ancient and precious works of art, such as paintings portraying the Council of Trento (1545/1563).
• Duomo: the cathedral was built in XIII century and was completed in 1515. It is dedicated to S. Vigilio. Maybe the plan of the church was created by Adamo d’Arogno. He received an order from the bishop, Federico Vanga, in 1212. The northern side, on the main square, is richly decorated. There is the so called Porta del Vescovo (Portal of the bishop): it was used during Council of Trento by bishops coming from the castle to go into the cathedral. There is also a rose window, in which an allegory shows how the life of a person can suddenly change. The southern side is less decorated. The bell tower is very interesting. It is called San Remedio tower, because, according to a tradition the bell started to ring by itself when the saint died. Inside the church is really beautiful because of the contrast between the Romanic style and the Gothic vaults. There are many interesting works of art: a wood statue portraying Our Lady, Madonna Addolorata, some altars, some paintings, a Romanic sculpture (attributed to Adamo d’Arogno) called Madonna degli annegati, that is Our Lady of drowned people, because at her feet people brought the corpses of those who died in Adige River or in the streams. There are also the funeral monuments of important personalities of the town. In the southern nave there is a chapel, Cappella Alberti, that contains a big crucifix (1515) by S. Frey. In front of this cross on 4^th December 1563, at the end of the Council, there was the promulgation of the decrees of the Counterreform. The main altar is surmounted by a Baroque canopy built during 1700 as a vow. The population wanted to thank God for the end of the French siege in 1703. It contains the urn with the deadly remains of S. Vigilio. The frescoes were made between XIII and XV century and portray classical elements of Christianity. Underground there is an early-Christian basilica.
• Chiesa di S. M. Maggiore: this church was ordered by the Prince Bishop Bernardo Clesio, one of the most important historical protagonists in the political and religious life of XVI century. Many sessions of the Council of Trento took place here. The church was built by Antonio Medaglia that ended it after four years (1520-1524) following the model of the church dedicated to Saint Andrew in Mantova. It was built using red and white stones coming from Trento mines. The upper part was made of calcareous stone because it was considered more resistant to severe weather conditions. The facade is in Renaissance style. Inside there is only a nave with a barrel vault. There are several side chapels containing marble Baroque altars and various paintings. In this church there are several interesting paintings portraying some episodes from the Council. The choir stalls and the organ are really charming. The choir stalls were made in 1534 and it is a real masterpiece of classical art. The organ was built in 1536. The bell tower is the tallest of the town (53 m): it is made of white calcareous stone. The dome is polygonal.
• Palazzo Galasso: according to a legend this palace was built by the devil during one night for banker Giorgio Fugger (the banker however didn’t give to the devil his soul, as he had promised to have the palace built).
• Monumento a Dante: this monument portrays Dante Alighieri, whose arm points toward Brennero (1896, by Cesare Zocchi, an artist from Florence). It is one of the biggest Italian monuments dedicated to Dante. On the pedestal there are episodes from the Divine Comedy.
• Palazzo Del Monte: a wonderful palace with polychrome facades.
• Badia di S. Lorenzo: this abbey was built in the second half of XII century. It was built by Benedictine monks from Vallalta (Bergamo) that came in Trento in 1146, as ordered by Bishop Altemanno. The main façade has a portal which is surmounted by a window with three lights. Inside there are three naves and a cross-vault. On the vault there are red and blue stars on a white background. The naves are supported by four cylindrical columns with a Romanic capital.
• Chiesa dell’Annunziata: this church, in Baroque style, was planned by Antonio Brusinelli and built between 1713 and 1715. Inside it is richly decorated with marbles. The XVIII century altars are really beautiful and were created by Cristoforo and Teodoro Benedetti. They are dedicated to the Annunciation, to Saint Joseph and Saint Anthony. The dome is octagonal and has a skylight.
• Chiesa di S. Apollinare: this church was built in XIV century. The roof is covered with shingles (it is a typical feature of alpine houses). The façade is very simple and there are three levels of windows. The portal is late-Romanic. The rose window was added in XIX century. At the base of the Romanic bell tower there is a XIV century sarcophagus with a sculpture portraying a monk going towards the sky with some angels. To build the church, also materials coming from Roman buildings were used (there is an epigraph of 23 b.C. on a wall that testifies this. This epigraph is one of the most ancient remains in Trentino). The church is divided into two parts. Each part is surmounted by an octagonal dome. Lately some restorations brought to light some ancient frescoes. The three marble altars were made in 1700. There is also a charming painting portraying Our Lady with the Holy Child. It was painted by Nicolò da Padova (maybe a pupil of Giotto).
• Chiesa di S. Chiara: this church is a very interesting Romanic building. There are also Middle Ages and XVII century elements inside and outside. The main altar is made of polychrome marbles.
• Chiesa di S. Francesco Saverio: this church was built between 1708 and 1711. The façade is very interesting for the use of stones from local mines. In the middle of it there is a window surmounted by a shell. Inside the church is richly decorated. The central nave is sided by four chapels containing wood confessionals (of XVIII century), statues in niches and angels on the pilasters.
• Chiesa di S. Marco: this church is part of the building that contains also the monastery of Augustinian friars. It was built in 1273 in Romanic style. Inside there is a barrel vault divided into six spans. The presbytery is dominated by a big XIX century cross. On the right side there is an altar-piece portraying the Holy Family, it was maybe by Pietro Ricci (XVII century). There are also two interesting Baroque marble altars. On the left of the portal, inside the church, there is a baroque style fountain dedicated to S. Giovanni Nepomuceno.
• Chiesa di S. Pietro: the façade of the church is in Neo-gothic style. It is divided into three spans and it is surmounted by a statue portraying Saint Peter. The bell tower was built in 1400. The church has three naves and some marble altars (the most charming are those dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua and to the Crucifix). The baptistery has a Baroque statue on it portraying the baptism of Jesus. In the presbytery there is a beautiful XVIII century marble altar, the statues of the Saints Peter and Paul. In the church there is also a chapel, usually closed, dedicated to S. Simonino. During the Holy Week of 1475, the body a three year-old child was found in a stream under the synagogue of Trento. Jews were accused for his death and there was a violent repression. Many Jews were executed without a process and at the same time there was the beginning of a real worship for the child. In 1964 Jews were proclaimed innocent and in 1965 Church abolished the worship of the child.
• Chiesa della SS. Trinità: this church was built for Clarisse nuns in 1519 in Renaissance style. Wreaths, flowers, fruits, two small angel heads give to the façade a peculiar style. Inside there is only a nave with cross-vault, three spans, two side chapels decorated with stuccoes. The church is very important because from here there was the start of the procession that opened the Council of Trento on 13^th December 1545.
• Chiesa del Suffragio: this church was built in Baroque style. The shape is oval and there are three niches containing three altars: in the niche of the apse, deeper than the other two, there is the wood main altar with an altar-piece portraying Our Lady with the Holy Child and Saint Gregory the Great. In the right niche there is another wood Baroque altar with a XVIII century cross. In the left niche there is a marble altar built at the end of XIX century. The church is surmounted by a dome with a drum.
• Santuario della Madonna delle Laste: the sanctuary is on the hill of Trento and was built to contain a XVI century fresco portraying Our Lady, that previously was in a near location. According to a popular tradition, in 1618 forty men moved the fresco to the new church. The sanctuary is in Baroque style and it has a hall with Doric columns. Inside there are some XVII century marble altars and a Crucifix.
• Torri: the towers are the symbols of the families that fought to obtain power. They were also used as prisons. There are several towers: Torre Civica, in Piazza Duomo, Torre Vanga, where Giorgio I of Liechtenstein was imprisoned, Torre Verde, a terrible jail and Torre della Tromba.
• Palazzo del Municipio: the palace of the town hall was built in XVI century. Cardinal Ercole Gonzaga (1562) died in the palace when he stayed there as a guest of counts Tono, the owners of the palace that gave hospitality to the cardinals in town for the Council.
• Palazzo Thun: this palace is also called Municipio Vecchio, the façade is in Neoclassical style.
• Palazzo Geremia: this palace is decorated by coloured frescoes, maybe by Fogolino. One painting portrays Emperor Maximilian Massimiliano I, who stayed in this palace in 1508.

 

 

 

Copyright Starnetwork srl - All rights reserved
Written by Stefania Maffeo
Translation by Linda Liguori