What to see in Trento

Trento sits in the river Adige and it is the capital of the Trentino Alto Adige region. It is a calm northern city and it is considered to be the richest in the country. People here enjoy the benefits of a high standard of living.

In the past, Trento was occupied several times by people such as the Etruscans, Gauls, Romans and at some point, it was part of the Lombard Empire and Habsburg. A city with such a great culture has a lot to offer to the tourists. Take a look at the best things to see in Trento.

Buonconsiglio Castle and Aquila Tower

It is the largest castle in the whole region and it served as a residence for the princes of Trento between 13th century to 18th century.

The oldest part of the castle is the round tower expanded with an Italian Renaissance-style followed by Magno Palazzo that was built during the 16th century and the Baroque Giunta Albertiana in the late 17th century.

In the complex of the castle, you will also find the Torre Aquila, whose interior is decorated with the 15th-century Cycle of the Months, one of the finest cycles of secular art from the late Middle Ages.

Except that, the complex also houses the Museo Provinciale d’Arte and the Museo del Risorgimento. This is where you will see sculptures, period furniture, archaeological, and ethnological collections.

The Cathedral of Trento (Duomo Cathedral)

Trento’s Duomo Cathedral (the main cathedral of the city) started building in 1212 by Federico Vanga, the bishop who contributed to developing the arts and the urban planning of the city. The project of the cathedral was trusted to Adamo d’Arogno and he chose the Romanique style.

This building is where the decrees of the Council of Trent took place between 1545 and 1563 as a Counter-Reformation compelled by the Protestant Reformation.

Diocesan Museum

The Diocesan Museum or as the locals call it, the Museo Diocesano Tridentino, one of the main Trento tourist attractions located right beside the Duomo. The museum is found in the Pretorio Palace, which was earlier the main bishops’ residence in Trento.

Displayed here you will see paintings of different epochs, wooden sculptures, polyptych altarpieces, precious gold articles, ancient embroideries, liturgical vestments, and Flemish tapestry from the 16th century.

You will also notice a section dedicated to icons and testimony of the Council of Trent.

Duomo Square and Neptune Fountain

Duomo Square is located in the center of the city, where all roads start and where they meet. Right in the beating heart of Trento. In the middle of the square is the Neptune Fountain around it are all the landmarks symbol of the city.

If you are traveling as a tourist in Trento, this is a great starting point to explore the city. The main attractions here are within short walking distance from the center. The most relevant attractions here are Palazzo Pretorio and Torre Civica that overlook the square from one end of the palace.

Belenzani Street – Via Belenzani

Belenzani Street, goes north from the Duomo Square, and if you walk along the street, looking upward you will see some of the best of Trento’s painted facades. Via Belenzani is the finest street in town, filled with palaces with historical, classical, and mythological motifs and faux architectural details.

Near the north end of the street, you will find the 16th-century Palazzo Municipale on the right, and opposite the Casa Geremia from the 15th-century. Casa Geremia was built by the son of a Veronese nobleman and it is known particularly for the restored frescoes on the façade.

MUSE (Museum of Science)

The Museum of Natural Science is a must-see if you want to visit the best things in Trento. The museum is an interesting place to visit with kids. It’s divided into four floors, each with different topics.

The ground floor has a space for interactive science. The first to the third floor you will discover the Alpine world: the prehistory, sustainability and innovation, the geology of the Dolomites mountain range, its resources, and biodiversity.

The fourth floor explores the world of glaciers and the living organisms in different climates.

Museum of Aeronautics Gianni Caproni

Italy’s oldest aviation museum is Museo dell’Aeronautica Gianni Caproni (as the locals call it). It lies next to the Trento Airport, and it got it’s name after Gianni Caproni, the Italian aeronautical engineer, and aircraft designer.

Here you will find exposed more than two dozen aircraft in the museum, including a number of Caproni planes, a Lockheed F-104G Starfighter, and the only surviving fuselage of a Fokker D.VIII. Eight other aircraft on display are the only surviving examples in the world. Many of these are prototypes built by Caproni, including the Caproni Vizzola C-22J, designed in 1980 for the US Air Force as a training craft. The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is a 1950s prototype of fighter planes used until 2000.

Santa Maria Maggiore Church

Santa Maria Maggiore as built between 1520 and 1524 with a project by Antonio Medaglia with the desire of the prince-bishop Bernardo Cles. It is where the main gatherings in preparation for the third phase of the Council of Trent took place. This church is what you would like to see in Trento for history buffs.

Like many churches, it was built on the ruins of the ancient city, where the Forum of the Roman settlement Tridentum used to stand.

The Ethnographic Museum of Gente Trentina

The locals call it Museo degli Usi e Costumi della Gente Trentina. Mainly is where you can find exceptional Italian costumes. It is one of Italy’s best and largest museums of culture and popular traditions, another good one is in the Alpine region just outside of Trento, in the Adige Valley.

The museum is made of 41 exhibit rooms on four floors. Its specialty is the agricultural traditions and methods of the Alps, and it includes tools and implements for haymaking, cheesemaking, beekeeping, timber cutting, and a complete water mill for grinding grains.

Other sections cover artisans such as woodcarvers, wood-turners, cartwrights, wheelwrights, and metal workers forging copper and iron.

There is also a textile section that includes wool preparation, spinning, and weaving, and the museum also displays a large collection of kitchen implements, pottery, copper vessels, and bronze pans from the 16th and 17th centuries. Folk costumes, folklore, carnival masks, musical instruments, religious customs, nuptial traditions, hunting, and winemaking round out the exhibits.

Most Instagrammable spots in Trento

While being in Trento, try to get the best memories with you! If you will be visiting Trento you shouldn’t miss the churches, the castles and other attractions in the city. All of these, will make your trip unforgettable. Make sure you shoot some photos while on your journey. If you are looking for places to take Instagram worthy photos, consider the following ideas.

• Belenzani Street
• Duomo square
• Castel Basone
• Paneveggio