Arco is a ''

comune A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...

'' in Trentino-Alto Adige in

northern Italy Northern Italy (, , ) is a geographical and cultural region in the northern part of Italy. The Italian National Institute of Statistics defines the region as encompassing the four Northwest Italy, northwestern Regions of Italy, regions of Piedmo ...

. The town is faced on one side by sheer limestone cliffs jutting up like a wall protecting it and its ancient

hilltop castle A hilltop castle is a type of hill castle that was built on the summit of a hill or mountain. In the latter case it may be termed a mountaintop castle. The term is derived from the German, ''Gipfelburg'', which is one of a number of terms used ...

. King Francis II of the

Two Sicilies The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies () was a kingdom in Southern Italy from 1816 to 1861 under the control of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, a cadet branch of the Bourbons. The kingdom was the largest sovereign state by population and land are ...

died here in 1894.

Main sights

*The

Castello di Arco Arco Castle (Italian language, Italian: ''Castello di Arco'', German language, German: ''Schloss Arch'') is a ruins, ruined castle located on a prominent spur high above Arco, Trentino, Arco and the Sarca Valley in Trentino, northern Italy. Histo ...

, medieval castle *Sanctuary and convent of ''Santa Maria delle Grazie'', built in 1475–1492. It houses a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary dating to the 15th century *''Collegiata dell'Assunta'', begun in 1613. Francis II, the last King of Two Sicilies, was provisionally buried here in the late 19th century, after his death at Arco in 1894. *Church of ''Sant'Apollinare'', with 14th-century frescoes *''Palazzo Marchettii'' (16th century). It has a portal attributed to

Giulio Romano Giulio Pippi ( – 1 November 1546), known as Giulio Romano and Jules Romain ( , ; ), was an Italian Renaissance painter and architect. He was a pupil of Raphael, and his stylistic deviations from High Renaissance classicism help define the ...

. *''Palazzo dei Panni'' (late 17th century) *''Stations of the Cross'' to the chapel "Santuario della Madonna di Laghel" 1896 by

Josef Moroder-Lusenberg Josef Theodor Moroder, also known as the Lusenberger, (28 May 1846 in Urtijëi – 16 February 1939 in Urtijëi) was a painter and sculptor, the most prominent artist of the Moroder family from the Grödenthal in South Tyrol (now the Val Gardena ...

Economy

Tourism is a major part of the local economy, with many Germans and Austrians coming over the

Brenner Pass The Brenner Pass ( , shortly ; ) is a mountain pass over the Alps which forms the Austria-Italy border, border between Italy and Austria. It is one of the principal passes of the Alps, major passes of the Eastern Alpine range and has the lowes ...

from Austria. Popular tourist activities include

windsurfing Windsurfing is a wind-propelled water sport that is a combination of sailing and surfing. It is also referred to as "sailboarding" and "boardsailing", and emerged in the late 1960s from the Californian aerospace and surf culture. Windsurfing gain ...

on nearby

Lake Garda Lake Garda (, , or , ; ; ) is the largest lake in Italy. It is a popular holiday location in northern Italy, between Brescia and Milan to the west, and Verona and Venice to the east. The lake cuts into the edge of the Eastern Alps, Italian Alp ...

, and rock climbing on the walls near the city. The annual Rock Master event, an international climbing competition, is held on the town's outdoor artificial wall.

Mountain biking Mountain biking (MTB) is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability ...

is popular and international bikers flock to the town. Agriculture is also important, with vines and citrus orchards filling the valley opposite the castle. Agro-chemical plants line the river Sarca towards the lake.

Twin towns

Schotten Schotten () is a town in the middle of Hesse, Germany. Larger towns nearby include Alsfeld in the north, Fulda in the east, Friedberg, Hesse, Friedberg in the south and Gießen in the west. Geography Location The officially recognised climatic sp ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, since 1960 * Bogen,

, since 1983 *

Roccella Ionica Roccella Ionica (; also known as Roccella Jonica or simply as Roccella ( Roccellese: ) is a town and ''comune'' located on the Ionian Sea in Calabria, southern Italy. Possibly built on the site of the ancient Greek settlement of Amphissa, Roccel ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, since 2007 *

Maybole Maybole (, ) is a town and former burgh of barony and police burgh in South Ayrshire, Scotland. It had an estimated population of in . It is situated south of Ayr and southwest of Glasgow by the Glasgow and South Western Railway. The town is ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

The Town of Arco, Italy
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Climate

References

External links

* *
Homepage of the cityArco tourist informationFalesia.it
free climbing in Italy
gardamove.comMountain Guides School ArcoMountain Guides
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol Populated places on Lake Garda Garda Mountains Climbing areas of Italy