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. King Francis II of the Two Sicilies died here in 1894.

Main sights

*The Castello di Arco, 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. *''Palazzo dei Panni'' (late 17th century) *''Stations of the Cross'' to the chapel "Santuario della Madonna di Laghel" 1896 by Josef Moroder-Lusenberg

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,

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