Trento, capital of the province of the same name and of the region of Trentino-Alto Adige, lies on the left bank of the Adige in a valley enclosed by high limestone hills. It is the see of an archbishop. The town forms part of the southern part of the territory of Tirol which was transferred from Austria to Italy in 1919. With its numerous towers and palaces, many of them with painted facades, it is a town of distinctly Italian character.
History
The town (the Roman Tridentum) was a place of some importance from an early period by virtue of its commanding situation at the junction of the trading route from Venice up the Val Sugana with the road over the Brenner, and was strongly fortified.
From 1027 to 1803 it was the residence of a prince-bishop directly subject to the emperor. From 1545 to 1563 it was the meeting-place of the Council of Trent, which laid down the pattern of the Counter-Reformation. Between 1814 and 1918 it belonged to Austria, and after the peace treaty of Saint-Germain to Italy. In 1948 (the "Gruber-De Gaspari-Agreement") the province of Trento was combined with the province of Bolzano (which included the German-speaking Alto Adige or South Tirol) to form the autonomous region of Trentino-Alto Adige.
On the east side of the Piazza del Duomo in Trento is the Palazzo Pretorio, with the Torre Grande (Clock-Tower). The palace houses the Diocesan Museum, with a notable treasury and 16th century Flemish tapestries.
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Via Belenzani joins the main street of Trento, Via Manci, which has also a number of fine palaces, as well as the beautiful Baroque church of San Fancesco Saverio. Farther north in front of the station is the Giardino Pubblico, with a monument to Dante (1896) 17.6m/58ft high, and a monument to Alois Negrelli (1799-1858), an early advocate of the Suez Canal. On the west side of the gardens stands the 12th century church of San Lorenzo (restored).
On the Doss Trento (307m/1,013ft) on the right bank of the Adige, is the conspicuous mausoleum of Cesare Battisti (1875-1916), from which there are fine views of Trento and the Adige valley.
From the Piazza del Duomo in Trento the wide Via Belenzani runs north. This, the finest street in the town, has a series of fine palaces with remains of painting on the facades. Near the north end of the street, on the right, is the 16th century Palazzo Municipale, with the 15th century Casa Geremia opposite.
In the choir of the Renaissance church of Santa Maria Maggiore (1520-23) northwest of the cathedral are a beautiful organ gallery (1534) and a picture of 1563 with likenesses of the members of the Council of Trent, which sometimes met here.
A rewarding drive is from Trento to Paganella. The road goes first to Fai della Paganella, about 18km/11mi northwest (1,030m/3,399ft), then there is a twin chair-lift from Santel to Paganella (2,125m/7,013ft), with magnificent views, particularly of the nearby Brenta group.
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