Trento Travel Guide

The story of the territory of Trento has ancient origin: the first reperts are dated between 9000 and 4000 years before of Christ. It was however on the III century A.D. with the first roman installations and subsequently with the radicalism of the Christianity in the IV century that the trentine hills assumed a detailed identity: in the first decades of the V century Trento was episcopal seat and the dominations of the Goti, of the Longobard in 569, of the Frank and the annexation at the Sacred Roman Empire in 952 aside of Ottone I, presented at the populations of the place an incredible variety of cultures. The date more important for the town was 1027, year in which the Emperor Corrado the Salico, founded the Episcopal Principality, system that governed for almost eight centuries, that is until at 1796, year of the napoleonic occupation.
After have crossed, around at 1200, years of particular brightness (during which was built the Cathedral of Trento), the trentino territory lived, for decades, the persecutions of dukes and lords at the damages of Bishops, until at 1363, year in which, through agreements between the Bishop Alberto of Ortenburg and the dukes of Austria, the cohabitation was pacific, even if of fact the powers of the figure of the Bishop endured a retrenchment.
Big and historic event of the tridentina story was the Council of Trento, happened between 1545 and 1563, that marked a fundamental stage in the relations between Catholics and Protestants and gave beginning at cruel persecutions at the real or apparent heretic movements.
At the beginning of 1800, the Trentino endured the occupation of the austrian troops that marked the end of the Episcopal Principality and as a consequence powers and riches passed at the civil power. Ten years in which succeeded different dominations, concluded in 1815 with the Congress of Vienna that decreed the passage of the territory under the asburgico power.
It was only after the bloody epilogue of the First World War that the Trentino was annexed at the Italy, november 4 1918.
The trentine populations continued however to desire autonomy and independence and, after the Second War was approved the Special Statuto for the Trentino Alto Adige Region, later on again distinguished in two Special Provincial Statuto, one for Trento and one for Bolzano.
Trento offers to the tourist numerous desitinations of artistic interest, architectonic and cultural: from Castle of the Buonconsiglio that raised, imposing and attractive, on the town with harmonious merge oneself periods of edification (from the XI at the XVI century) and contained from a city-walls with bastions that delimits a wonderful garden, accomodates a museum collection; on the south side erises the Torre of the Aquila, at the inside of that can be admired a magnificent fresco of the first years of the '400 ordered by the Bishop Giorgio of Lichtenstein at a bohemian teacher: "Il Ciclo dei Mesi".
Continuing toward the historic centre, along Clesio road and road of the Suffragio, well-known also for the historic porticos, there is the seventeenth-century Trautmannsdorf Palace that is appeared on Raffaello Sanzio square and on Mostra square and on its facades has 149 masks, one different from the other with numerous expressions. Then along Antonio Manci road, where is situated Salvadori Palace, works of Lucio di Pietro of the beginnings of Sixteenth century, at whici is opposed the Mirana Tower seat of numerous events and exhibitions. Continue toward Duomo square along the Belenzani road, true treasure of architecture with the facades of Thun Palace, Geremia Palace and Alberti Colico Palace. In square of the Cathedral dedicated at San Vigilio and delimited from the other sides from walls of Pretorio Palace with the Tower and the Castelletto, primitive invigorated episcopal residence and Balduini Palace, can be admired the eighteenth-century Fontana del Nettuno work of Francesco Antonio Giongo.
The historic centre made precious from a pedestrian block that fills Pasi square, Oss Mazzurana road (seat of the Teatro Sociale), San Pietro road and largo Giosuè Carducci, animated square and well-known place of meeting.
The provincial territory of Trento fills the southern portion of the region and offers at the tourist a variegated landscape that soars from mild hills, at small lakes set between imposing peaks: from the northern offshoots of the Lake of Garda, true paradise for surfisti and the passionates of sail at the valleys to scour also in winter with rackets at the foots for unforgettable trips at contact with a pure nature (Val di Non, Val di Sole, Valsugana) and from which start modern installations of climb that allow to ski over a immense circuit (Madonna di Campiglio, Pinzolo, Altopiano della Paganella, Val di Fassa, Altipiani di Folgaria, Lavarone and Luserna). In summer the landscape changes its colours and the pure white of the snow is replaced from the luxuriant green of the pastures and of the woods, where lovers of the nature find their ideal habitat.
Sport, open air and trips put appetite, but the trentina enogastronomic culture delights the more demanding palates: cheeses produced in the "malghe" (refuges in high quote that produce milk and milk products from their cows bred at the pasture) among which the Nostrano Val di Fassa, the Spressa, the Fontal, the Puzzone of Moena and the Vezzena, besides: mushrooms, game, the typical "carne salada", (meat of bovine flavored and seasoned in containers of terra-cotta), olive-oil of the Garda, honey, chestnuts and the famous trentine apples; refined local wines accompany every good meal, from the reds, Teroldego, Merlot, Cabernet and Marzemino, at the whites Muller Thurgau, Pinot Binaco and Sauvignon and the Spumante Trento DOC. For the gluttons are dished up the strudel, the cake of bilberries, of almonds and strawberries to accompany with the Vin Santo Trentino or the Moscato Giallo.