Trento (
or ;
Ladin and lmo, Trent; german: Trient ; cim, Tria; , ), also anglicized as Trent,
is a city on the
Adige River
The Adige (; german: Etsch ; vec, Àdexe ; rm, Adisch ; lld, Adesc; la, Athesis; grc, Ἄθεσις, Áthesis, or , ''Átagis'') is the second-longest river in Italy, after the Po. It rises near the Reschen Pass in the Vinschgau in the prov ...
in
Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol in Italy. It is the capital of the
autonomous province of Trento. In the 16th century, the city was the location of the
Council of Trent
The Council of Trent ( la, Concilium Tridentinum), held between 1545 and 1563 in Trent (or Trento), now in northern Italy, was the 19th ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. Prompted by the Protestant Reformation, it has been described ...
. Formerly part of
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
and
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
, it was annexed by
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
in 1919. With 118,142 inhabitants, Trento is the third largest city in the Alps and second largest in the historical region of
Tyrol.
Trento is an educational, scientific, financial and political centre in
Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, in
Tyrol and
Northern Italy
Northern Italy ( it, Italia settentrionale, it, Nord Italia, label=none, it, Alta Italia, label=none or just it, Nord, label=none) is a geographical and cultural region in the northern part of Italy. It consists of eight administrative Regions ...
in general. The city contains a picturesque Medieval and Renaissance historic centre, with ancient buildings such as
Trento Cathedral and the
Castello del Buonconsiglio
Buonconsiglio Castle ( it, Castello del Buonconsiglio) is a castle in Trento, northern Italy.
History
The castle originated from a fortified building that was erected in the 13th century next to the city's walls. This first building was called ...
.
Together with other Alpine towns Trento engages in the
Alpine Town of the Year Association for the implementation of the Alpine Convention to achieve sustainable development in the Alpine Arc. Trento was awarded the title of Alpine Town of the Year 2004.
The city often ranks highly among Italian cities for
quality of life
Quality of life (QOL) is defined by the World Health Organization as "an individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards ...
,
standard of living, and
business and job opportunities, being ranked 5th in 2017. Trento is also one of the nation's wealthiest and most prosperous cities, with its
province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outsi ...
being one of the richest in Italy, with a
GDP per capita of €31,200 and a nominal
GDP of €16.563 billion.
The
University of Trento, founded in 1962 as a Higher University Institute of Social Sciences, is one of the most prestigious medium-small Italian universities, with a strong international vocation. It ranks 1st among 'medium-sized' Universities in the ''Censis'' ranking
and 2nd in the ''
Il Sole 24 Ore'' ranking of Italian universities.
The School of International Studies of the University of Trento is a member of the
Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (
Apsia
The Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA) is a non-profit educational organization of graduate schools of international affairs, with 40 members and 26 affiliates around the world.
Starting as a network of America ...
), a selected group of institutions for higher education in the field of international relations. It is the first, and currently unique, Italian institute and one of the few Europeans present in the club of the best international study schools in the world that form policy makers.
In the last twenty years, thanks to the gradual creation of various research centers (FBK, FEM) and laboratories in the IT, engineering and sciences fields, Trento and its university have been nicknamed the "Silicon Valley of the Alps".
History
The origins of this city on the river-route to
Bolzano and the low Alpine passes of
Brenner and the
Reschen Pass over the Alps are disputed. Some scholars maintain it was a
Rhaetian settlement: the Adige area was however influenced by neighbouring populations, including the
(Adriatic) Veneti, the
Etruscans
The Etruscan civilization () was developed by a people of Etruria in ancient Italy with a common language and culture who formed a federation of city-states. After conquering adjacent lands, its territory covered, at its greatest extent, roug ...
and the
Gaul
Gaul ( la, Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy (only durin ...
s (a
Celt
The Celts (, see pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples () are. "CELTS location: Greater Europe time period: Second millennium B.C.E. to present ancestry: Celtic a collection of Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancien ...
ic population). According to other theories, the latter instead founded the city during the 4th century BC.
Trento was conquered by the
Romans in the 1st century BC, after several clashes with the Rhaetian tribes. Before the Romans, Trento was a Celtic village.
Julius Caesar re-founded it as a Roman municipality when
Rome extended citizenship to the part of Cisalpine Gaul north of the River Po. The Latin name given to the settlement was ''Tridentum,'' meaning "Three-teeth place" or "Trident-town" ( "three" + "tooth"). The reason for the name is uncertain: the new town may have been consecrated to the god
Neptune, or possibly named after the three hills that surround the city (known in Italian as ''Doss Trento'', ''Doss di Sant'Agata'' and ''Doss di San Rocco''). The Latin name is the source of the adjective "tridentine". On the old city hall, a
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...
inscription is still visible: "''Montes argentum mihi dant nomenque Tridentum''" ("Mountains give me silver and the name of Trento"), attributed to Fra' Bartolomeo da Trento (died in 1251). Tridentum became an important stop on the
Roman road
Roman roads ( la, viae Romanae ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, and were built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman R ...
that led from
Verona
Verona ( , ; vec, Verona or ) is a city on the Adige River in Veneto, Italy, with 258,031 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region. It is the largest city municipality in the region and the second largest in nor ...
to
Innsbruck.
After the fall of the
Western Roman Empire
The Western Roman Empire comprised the western provinces of the Roman Empire at any time during which they were administered by a separate independent Imperial court; in particular, this term is used in historiography to describe the period fr ...
, the independent bishopric of Trento was conquered by
Ostrogoths,
Byzantines,
Lombards
The Lombards () or Langobards ( la, Langobardi) were a Germanic people who ruled most of the Italian Peninsula from 568 to 774.
The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the '' History of the Lombards'' (written between 787 an ...
and
Franks
The Franks ( la, Franci or ) were a group of Germanic peoples whose name was first mentioned in 3rd-century Roman sources, and associated with tribes between the Lower Rhine and the Ems River, on the edge of the Roman Empire.H. Schutz: Tools, ...
, finally becoming part of the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars.
From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...
. In 1027, Emperor
Conrad II created the
Prince-Bishops of Trento
The Prince-Bishopric of Trent ( la, Episcopatus ac Principatus Tridentinus; german: Hochstift Trient, Fürstbistum Trient, Bistum Trient) was an ecclesiastical principality roughly corresponding to the present-day Northern Italian autonomous p ...
, who wielded both temporal and religious powers. In the following centuries, however, the sovereignty was divided between the
Bishopric of Trent and the
County of Tyrol
The (Princely) County of Tyrol was an estate of the Holy Roman Empire established about 1140. After 1253, it was ruled by the House of Gorizia and from 1363 by the House of Habsburg. In 1804, the County of Tyrol, unified with the secularised pr ...
(from 1363 part of the Habsburg monarchy). Around 1200, Trento became a mining center of some significance: silver was mined from the Monte Calisio – Khalisperg, and Prince-Bishop
Federico Wanga issued the first mining code of the alpine region.
In the 14th century, the region of Trento was part of Austria. The dukes of
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
(
Habsburg Family) were also the counts of
Tyrol and dominated the region for six centuries (1918).
A dark episode in the history of Trento was the Trento
blood libel. When a 3-year-old Christian boy, Simonino, later known as
Simon of Trent, disappeared in 1475 on the eve of
Good Friday
Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday (also Ho ...
, the city's small Jewish community was accused of killing him and draining his blood for Jewish ritual purposes.
Eight Jews were tortured and burned at the stake, and their families forced to convert to Christianity. The bishop of Trento, Johannes Hinderbach, had Simonino canonized and published the first book printed in Trento, ''"Story of a Christian Child Murdered at Trento"'', embellished with 12 woodcuts.
In a governmental ceremony in the 1990s, Trento apologized to the Jewish community for this dark episode and unveiled a plaque commemorating the formal apology.

In the 16th century, Trento became notable for the
Council of Trent
The Council of Trent ( la, Concilium Tridentinum), held between 1545 and 1563 in Trent (or Trento), now in northern Italy, was the 19th ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. Prompted by the Protestant Reformation, it has been described ...
(1545–1563) which gave rise to the
Counter-Reformation. The adjective ''Tridentine'' (as in "Tridentine Mass") literally means pertaining to Trento, but can also refer to that specific event. Among the notable prince-bishops of this time were
Bernardo Clesio (who governed the city from 1514 to 1539 and managed to steer the council to Trento) and
Cristoforo Madruzzo (who governed from 1539 to 1567), both able European politicians and Renaissance
humanists, who greatly expanded and embellished the city.
During this period, and as an expression of this Humanism, Trento was also known as the site of a
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
printing press. In 1558 Cardinal Madruzzo granted the privilege of printing
Hebrew
Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
books to Joseph Ottolengo, a German
rabbi
A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...
. The actual printer was
Jacob Marcaria, a local physician; after his death in 1562, the activity of the press of Riva di Trento ceased. Altogether, 34 works were published in the period from 1558 to 1562, most of them bearing the coat of arms of Madruzzo.
Prince-bishops governed Trento until the Napoleonic era, when it changed hands among various states. Under the
reorganization of the Holy Roman Empire in 1802, the Bishopric was secularized and annexed to the
Habsburg territories. The
Treaty of Pressburg in 1805 ceded Trento to
Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total l ...
, and the
Treaty of Schönbrunn four years later gave it to Napoleon's
Kingdom of Italy
The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia was proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to an institutional referendum to abandon the monarchy and ...
.
The population staged armed resistance to French domination. The resistance leader was
Andreas Hofer. During his youth, he lived in Italian Tyrol, where he learned the
Italian language
Italian (''italiano'' or ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European language family that evolved from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire. Together with Sardinian, Italian is the least divergent language from Latin. Spoken by about 8 ...
. When Hofer recovered Trento for the Austrians (1809), he was welcomed with enthusiasm by the population of Trento. Approximately 4,000 Trentinian volunteers (''Sìzzeri'' or ''Schützen'') died in battle against the French and Bavarian troops. In 1810, Hofer was captured and brought to
Mantua
Mantua ( ; it, Mantova ; Lombard language, Lombard and la, Mantua) is a city and ''comune'' in Lombardy, Italy, and capital of the Province of Mantua, province of the same name.
In 2016, Mantua was designated as the Italian Capital of Culture ...
, and was shot by French soldiers on the express order of Napoleon.
With Napoleon's defeat in 1814, Trento was again annexed by the
Habsburg Empire. Church government was finally extinguished, and Trento was henceforth governed by the secular administration of
Tyrol. In the following decades, Trento experienced a modernization of administration and economy with the first railroad in the Adige valley opening in 1859. The entire Mediterranean basin was at risk of malaria, a factor that affected the entire Italian peninsula and this Alpine region was not spared. Even Tuscany was particularly hard hit; malaria existed far inland into the Veneto area, reaching the Italian Alps. From 1918 to 1940, government figures show Italy's malaria deaths decreased by 96%, due to the efforts of the Rockefeller Foundation and Italy's own malaria experts, who themselves were international leaders in malariology.
During the late 19th century, Trento and
Trieste
Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into pr ...
, cities with ethnic Italian majorities still belonging to the Austrians, became icons of the Italian
irredentist movement.
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in ...
briefly joined the staff of a local newspaper in 1909, but left Trento because they could not create an anti-Austrian group. There was dissatisfaction with the lack of provincial autonomy and the failure to establish a university for the region. Feelings of loyalty were focused on the 'father-figure' emperor, not for Austria.

The nationalist cause led Italy into
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
. Damiano Chiesa and the deputy in the Austrian parliament
Cesare Battisti were two well-known local irredentists who had joined the
Italian Army to fight against Austria-Hungary with the aim of bringing the territory of Trento into the new
Kingdom of Italy
The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia was proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to an institutional referendum to abandon the monarchy and ...
. The two men were taken prisoners at the nearby southern front. They were put on trial for high treason and executed in the courtyard of
Castello del Buonconsiglio
Buonconsiglio Castle ( it, Castello del Buonconsiglio) is a castle in Trento, northern Italy.
History
The castle originated from a fortified building that was erected in the 13th century next to the city's walls. This first building was called ...
.
The region was greatly affected during the war, and some of its fiercest battles were fought on the surrounding mountains in the southernmost regions and the southeast. Of a population of just less than 400,000 in the province, 55,000 men served in the Imperial and Royal Army of whom 11,000 died. Most served on the Galician front; 700 served with the Italian Army. After
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, Trento and its Italian-speaking province, along with
Bolzano (Bozen) and the part of Tyrol that stretched south of the Alpine watershed (which was primarily
German-speaking), were annexed by Italy.
In July 1943 Mussolini was removed as Prime Minister when the allies invaded Sicily. Italy surrendered to the Allies, and declared war on Germany. German troops promptly invaded northern Italy and the provinces of Trento,
Belluno and
South Tyrol became part of the
Operation Zone of the Alpine Foothills
The Operational Zone of the Alpine Foothills (german: Operationszone Alpenvorland (OZAV); it, Zona d'operazione delle Prealpi) was a Nazi German occupation zone in the sub-Alpine area in Italy during World War II.
Origin and geography
OZAV was ...
, annexed to
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...
. Some German-speakers wanted revenge upon Italian-speakers living in the area, but were mostly prevented by the occupying German troops, who still considered Mussolini head of the
Italian Social Republic
The Italian Social Republic ( it, Repubblica Sociale Italiana, ; RSI), known as the National Republican State of Italy ( it, Stato Nazionale Repubblicano d'Italia, SNRI) prior to December 1943 but more popularly known as the Republic of Salò ...
and wanted to preserve good relations with the Italians. From November 1944 to April 1945, Trento was bombed as part of the so-called "Battle of the Brenner". War supplies from Germany to support the
Gothic Line
The Gothic Line (german: Gotenstellung; it, Linea Gotica) was a German Defense line, defensive line of the Italian Campaign (World War II), Italian Campaign of World War II. It formed Generalfeldmarschall, Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's la ...
were for the most part routed via the rail line through the Brenner Pass. Over 6,849 sorties were flown by the Allies over targets from
Verona
Verona ( , ; vec, Verona or ) is a city on the Adige River in Veneto, Italy, with 258,031 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region. It is the largest city municipality in the region and the second largest in nor ...
to the
Brenner Pass, with 10,267 tons of bombs dropped. Parts of the city were hit by the Allied bombings, including the church of S. Maria Maggiore, the Church of the Annunciation and several bridges over the
Adige river. In spite of the bombings, most of the medieval and renaissance city center was spared. It was finally liberated on 3 May 1945.
In 1947, Trento became the host of the
Rally Stella Alpina
The Stella Alpina Rally is an annual vintage motorsport race, held annually since 1984 in the Italian Alps. It is a historical reconstruction of the earlier Stella Alpina Rally competition, originally held from 1947 to 1955. It takes place in It ...
.
Since the 1950s, the region has enjoyed prosperous growth, thanks in part to its special autonomy from the central Italian government.
On 4 August 2015, the cathedral tower caught fire by "spontaneous combustion". The clock stopped at 10:50 AM, a matter of minutes after the fire began.
In 2020, Trento was listed as the most sustainable city in Italy, according to the Smart City Index.
Geography
The township of Trento encompasses the city centre as well as many suburbs of extremely varied geographical and population conditions (from the industrial suburb of Gardolo, just north of the city, to tiny mountain hamlets on Monte Bondone). Various distinctive suburbs still retain their traditional identity of rural or mountain villages.
Trento lies in a wide
glacial valley known as the
Adige valley, just south of the
Dolomite Mountains, where the Fersina River and
Avisio rivers join the
Adige River
The Adige (; german: Etsch ; vec, Àdexe ; rm, Adisch ; lld, Adesc; la, Athesis; grc, Ἄθεσις, Áthesis, or , ''Átagis'') is the second-longest river in Italy, after the Po. It rises near the Reschen Pass in the Vinschgau in the prov ...
(the second longest river in Italy). River Adige is one of the three primary south-flowing Alpine rivers; its broadly curving course alongside Trento was straightened in 1850. The valley is surrounded by mountains, including Vigolana (), Monte Bondone (),
Paganella (), Marzola () and
Monte Calisio
Monte Calisio (also called Argentario from Argento, meaning silver in Italian), at , is a mountain located in the North of Italy and surrounded by the suburbs of Trento and Civezzano: Martignano, Cognola, Villamontagna, Gardolo and Melta di G ...
(). Nearby lakes include
Lake Caldonazzo, Lake Levico,
Lake Garda and Lake Toblino.
''Frazioni''
''Frazioni'', or subdivisions of Trento:
*
Povo
*
Villazzano
*
Gardolo
*
Roncafort
*
Mattarello
*
Martignano
*
Cognola
*
Ravina
*
Romagnano
*
Montevaccino
*
Vela
Vela or Velas may refer to:
Astronomy
* Vela (constellation), a constellation in the southern sky (the Sails)
** Vela (Chinese astronomy)
** Vela Pulsar
** Vela X-1, a pulsing, eclipsing high-mass X-ray binary system
Places
* Vela Bluff, Antarc ...
*
Meano
*
Sardagna Sardagna is an Italian surname
A name in the Italian language consists of a given name ( it, nome), and a surname (); in most contexts, the given name is written before the surname. (In official documents, the Western surname may be written before ...
*
Sopramonte
*
Vigo Meano
Vigo ( , , , ) is a city and municipality in the province of Pontevedra, within the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain. Located in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, it sits on the southern shore of an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean, th ...
*
Cortesano
*
Gazzadina
*
Candriai
*
Vaneze
*
Cadine
*
Vigolo Baselga
Climate
The municipality of Trento stretches across a wide range of altitude levels, going from just under 200 m above sea level at the city centre, to 400 m in Povo and Cognola, to 2000 m above sea level at Monte Bondone, boroughs at higher elevation, for instance
Viote, have a colder alpine climate (''Dw''). Urban Trento has a
humid subtropical-
continental climate (''Cfa''-''Dfa'') according to the
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...
. Monthly average temperatures range between 1.6 °C (January) and 23.4 °C (July). Annual precipitation exceed 900 mm spread out on an average of 87 days, with peaks in late spring (May–June, 90 mm monthly average in 9–10 rain days) and autumn (October–November: 100–110 mm monthly average in 7–8 days), and lows in winter (January–February, 30–40 mm monthly average in 3–4 rain days). Winters are cold to freezing, with infrequent snowfall but usual frost from mid-November to mid-March. In winter, daytime highs may not exceed 5 °C and lows may rarely dip down to -10 °C, but the latter usually stand around -4 °C to 0 °C. Spring brings unpredictable weather with wind blowing north to south or vice-versa throughout the valley. Many spring days are pleasant, but the transition may be very quick, for example going from frosty mornings to 30 °C in two months. In May, it is possible to have either rainy days with daytime highs below 18 °C, or sunny days with the temperature soaring up to 30 °C. Summers are hot, sometimes sweltering, with highs getting to 35 °C at least for a week a year and more rarely to 38 °C. Summer nights can be hot as well, with overnight lows hovering around 22-24 °C (in the hilly suburbs east, north and west of Trento summer nights can be much cooler, with lows up to 6 °C lower than that of the city centre). Early fall is pleasant, with foliage starting around mid-October at higher elevations, late October in the uphill suburbs and in November downtown. Fall days can be humid, grey and dim, with temperatures rapidly declining through October and November. The first snowfall in the suburbs may occur as early as late November, with December and early January being the snowiest period of the year.
Demographics
In 2007, there were 112,637 people residing in Trento, of whom 48% were male and 52% were female. Minors (children ages 18 and younger) totalled 18.01 percent of the population compared to pensioners who number 19.37 percent. This compares with the Italian average of 18.06 percent (minors) and 19.94 percent (pensioners). The average age of Trento residents is 41 compared to the Italian average of 42. In the five years between 2002 and 2007, the population of Trento grew by 5.72 percent, while
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
as a whole grew by 3.56 percent. The current birth rate of Trento is 9.61 births per 1,000 inhabitants compared to the Italian average of 9.45 births.
, 92.68% of the population was
Italian. The largest immigrant group came from other
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...
an countries (mostly
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the ...
,
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, a ...
): 4.13%,
North Africa
North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in t ...
: 1.08%, and the
Americas: 0.85%.
Trento Informa (a magazine distributed by the "comune") reports that in 2011 there were 117,190 people residing in Trento, of whom 48.5% aged between 45 and 65. The average age was 43.1 years.
Economy

The city owes much of its unique economy to its position along the main communication route between Italy and Northern Europe and to the Adige river which, prior to its diversion in the mid-19th century, ran through the center of the city. The Adige river was formerly a navigable river and one of the main commercial routes in the Alps. The original course of the river is now covered by the Via Torre Vanga, Via Torre Verde and the Via Alessandro Manzoni.

As late as World War II, Trento
depended on wine-making and silk. The manufacturing industry installed in the post-war period has been mostly dismantled. Today, Trento thrives on commerce, services, tourism, high-quality agriculture and food industry (including wine, fruit), as a research and conference center thanks to a small but renowned
university
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase ''universitas magistrorum et scholarium'', which ...
and internationally renowned research centers such as ''Fondazione Bruno Kessler'', active in both fundamental and applied research, the Italian-German Historical Institute, the Centre for Computational and Systems Biology and ECT*, active in theoretical nuclear studies and part of FBK, and as logistics and transportation thoroughfare.
Valued pink and white
porphyry are still excavated from some surrounding areas (Pila). This stone can be seen in many of Trento's buildings, both new and old.
The city has two long-running annual sporting events: the
Giro al Sas (a professional road running competition) was first held in the city in 1907 and continues to the present,
[Un balzo nel passato]
. Giro al Sas. Retrieved 2010-11-03. while the
Giro del Trentino
The Tour of the Alps is an annual professional cycling stage race in Italy and Austria. First held in 1962, it was named Giro del Trentino ( en, Tour of Trentino) until 2016, and run over four stages in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region o ...
is an annual
road cycling race which the city has hosted every year since 1963.
Economy Festival of Trento
The Economy Festival (Festival dell’Economia di Trento) was brought into being in 2006 in order to enable and facilitate discussions between economists and a broad public. The aim of this festival is to put economic terminology across to everyone. The Festival dell’Economia di Trento takes place every year at the end of May on the historic Palazzi of the old town in Trento.
Well known economists explain and interpret current economic issues, both from an economic-scientific as well as from a social and entrepreneurial viewpoint. In the course of recent years, numerous economic scholars and managers such as Sir
Anthony Atkinson Anthony Atkinson may refer to:
* Tony Atkinson
Sir Anthony Barnes Atkinson (4 September 1944 – 1 January 2017) was a British economist, Centennial Professor at the London School of Economics, and senior research fellow of Nuffield College, O ...
,
Fan Gang,
Zygmunt Bauman and the Nobel Prize winner
Gary Becker took an active part.
Politics
Government
Trento is governed by the City Council of Trento. Voters elect directly 40 councilors and the mayor of Trento every five years. The current mayor of Trento is
Franco Ianeselli, elected for the first time on 21 September 2020. Ianeselli, a former trade unionist, was elected as a left-leaning independent with the support of a wide coalition of parties. These parties ranged from the left (as in the case of Europa Verde) to the Catholic centre (including Partito Autonomista Trentino Tirolese, and Insieme per Trento). When determining the composition of his Giunta (the equivalent of a City Cabinet), Ianeselli selected seven members of the City Council: Monica Baggia, Elisabetta Bozzarelli, Mariachiara Franzoia, Chiara Maule, Salvatore Panetta, Roberto Stanchina, and Paolo Zanella. However, in late November 2020 Paolo Zanella announced he would leave his position as a member of the Giunta, in order to fill a vacancy in one of the 35 seats of the legislative assembly of the Trentino province, upon the resignation of member Paolo Ghezzi. Shortly after, mayor Ianeselli announced Ezio Facchin as Zanella's successor.
Euroregion Tyrol-South Tyrol-Trentino
In 1996, the European Union approved further cultural and economic integration between the Austrian province of
Tyrol and the Italian autonomous provinces of
South Tyrol and
Trentino
Trentino ( lld, Trentin), officially the Autonomous Province of Trento, is an autonomous province of Italy, in the country's far north. The Trentino and South Tyrol constitute the region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, an autonomous regio ...
by recognizing the creation of the
Euroregion Tyrol-South Tyrol-Trentino.
Main sights

Although off the beaten path of mass tourism, Trento offers rather interesting monuments. Its architecture has a unique feel, with both Italian Renaissance and Roman influences. The city center is small, and most Late-Medieval and Renaissance buildings have been restored to their original pastel colours and wooden balconies. Part of the medieval city walls is still visible in Piazza Fiera, along with a circular tower. Once, these walls encircled the entire city and were connected to the Castello del Buonconsiglio.
The main monuments of the city include:
* ''
Duomo'' (Cathedral of
Saint Vigilius), a Romanesque-Gothic cathedral of the twelfth-thirteenth century, built on top of a late-Roman basilica (viewable in an underground crypt).
* ''Piazza Duomo'', on the side of the cathedral, with frescoed Renaissance buildings and the Late Baroque Fountain of Neptune (''Fontana di Nettuno'') built in 1767–1768.
*
Church of Santa Maria Maggiore (1520), site of the preparatory congregations of the Third Council of Trent (April 1562 – December 1563). It was built for Bishop
Bernardo Clesio by the architect Antonio Medaglia in Renaissance-Gothic style. The façade has a notable 16th-century portal, while the interior has works by
Giambettino Cignaroli and
Moroni.
* ''Castello del Buonconsiglio'' (
Buonconsiglio Castle), which includes a museum and the notable Torre dell'Aquila, with a cycle of fine Gothic frescoes depicting the months, commissioned by the prince-bishop Georg von Lichtenstein.
* Church of San Pietro (12th century) It has a neo-Gothic façade added in 1848–1850.
* Church of Sant'Apollinare, erected in the 13th century at the feet of the Doss Trento hill.
* Church of San Lorenzo (12th century). It has a Romanesque apse.
* ''Torre Verde'' (Green Tower), along the former transit path of the
Adige river, is said to be where persons executed in the name of the Prince-Bishop were deposited in the river.
* ''
Palazzo delle Albere
Palazzo delle Albere is a Renaissance villa-fortress in Trento, northern Italy. It was built during the 16th century by the Madruzzo family of prince-bishops of Trento. It takes its name (meaning "Palace of the Trees") from the rows of poplars t ...
'' (Palace of the Trees), a Renaissance villa next to the Adige river built around 1550 by the Madruzzo family, now hosting a modern art museum.
* ''Palazzo Pretorio'', next to the Duomo, of the 12th century, with a bell tower (''Torre Civica'') of the thirteenth century (it now hosts a collection of baroque paintings of religious themes). It was the main Bishops' residence until the mid-13th century.
* ''
Palazzo Salvadori
Palazzo Salvadori is a palazzo in Trento, northern Italy, one of the first examples of Renaissance civil architecture in the city.
History
It was built by the Lombard master Lucio Tosani, during the reign of Prince-Bishop Bernardo Clesio, st ...
'' (1515).
* ''Palazzo Geremia'' (late 15th century). It has a Renaissance exterior and Gothic interiors.
* ''Palazzo Lodron'', built during the Council of Trent. The interior has a large fresco cycle.
* Various underground remains of the streets and villas of the Roman city (in Via Prepositura and Piazza Cesare Battisti).
Trento also sports
modernist architecture, including the train station and the central post office, both by rationalist architect
Angiolo Mazzoni. In particular, the train station (1934–36) is considered a landmark building of Italian railways architecture and combines many varieties of local stone with the most advanced building materials of the time: glass, reinforced concrete, metal. The post office was once decorated with colored windows by
Fortunato Depero, but these were destroyed during bombings in World War II. Other buildings of that time include the Grand Hotel (by G. Lorenzi) with some guest rooms furnished with futurist furniture by Depero, and the "R. Sanzio" Primary School built in 1931–34 and designed by
Adalberto Libera.
Gallery
File:MUSE - exterior 03.jpg, MUSE
In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the ...
, the science museum designed by Renzo Piano
Renzo Piano (; born 14 September 1937) is an Italian architect. His notable buildings include the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris (with Richard Rogers, 1977), The Shard in London (2012), the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City ...
File:Trento-cortile Palazzo Thun-perspective.jpg, Palazzo Thun, seat of the mayor's office and the City Council
File:Trento-Piazza Fiera 2.jpg, Piazza Fiera, with part of the former city wall on the right-hand side
File:Palazzo Vescovo Trento.JPG, Palazzo Vescovile, seat of the local Catholic Diocese
File:Cazuffi-Rella houses, Piazza Duomo, Trento.jpg, Casa Cazuffi and casa Rella, in the central Piazza Duomo
File:Trento Palazzo delle Albere.jpg, Palazzo delle Albere
Palazzo delle Albere is a Renaissance villa-fortress in Trento, northern Italy. It was built during the 16th century by the Madruzzo family of prince-bishops of Trento. It takes its name (meaning "Palace of the Trees") from the rows of poplars t ...
, formerly the Summer residence of the Prince-Bishop
File:Trento centro storico - Chiesa San Francesco Saverio.jpg, Chiesa di San Francesco Saverio (St. Francis Xavier Church). The street is via Belenzani connecting the church facade with Piazza Duomo
Culture
Museums

*
MUSE - Museo delle Scienze
The Museo delle Scienze (MUSE) is a science museum in Trento, Italy. The museum was designed by architect Renzo Piano and opened in 2013.
References
Science museums in Italy
{{Italy-museum-stub ...
, museum of science and natural history. The museum was planned by
Renzo Piano
Renzo Piano (; born 14 September 1937) is an Italian architect. His notable buildings include the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris (with Richard Rogers, 1977), The Shard in London (2012), the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City ...
and opened in 2013.
*
Municipal Gallery, part of the
Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto (MART).
*
Regional Museum of Art, in the
Castello del Buonconsiglio
Buonconsiglio Castle ( it, Castello del Buonconsiglio) is a castle in Trento, northern Italy.
History
The castle originated from a fortified building that was erected in the 13th century next to the city's walls. This first building was called ...
, former seat of the Prince-Bishops of Trento.
*
The Tridentine Diocesan Museum, located in the , next to the Cathedral Square of Trento, shows the artistic treasures of the diocese of Trento as well as the influence of the council on the city.
*
Viote Alpine Botanical Garden, located on Monte Bondone in ''Le Viote'', founded in 1938. Trento's surroundings are known for the mountain landscapes and are a destination of both summer and winter tourism.
*
Museo dell'Aeronautica Gianni Caproni, an aeronautical museum located in
Mattarello, near Trento's airport.
Theatre
*
Teatro Sociale, realized in 1819
* Teatro Auditorium
* Teatro San Marco
* Teatro di Meano, located in the fraction Meano
Events
*
Economy Festival Trento
An economy is an area of the production, distribution and trade, as well as consumption of goods and services. In general, it is defined as a social domain that emphasize the practices, discourses, and material expressions associated with ...
*
Mountain Film Festival
* Christmas Market of Trento
* A Tutto Nosiola – Food and Wine Event
* Gemme di Gusto – Food and Wine Event
* DiVin Ottobre – Food and Wine Event
Education

The
University of Trento was founded in 1962 and has its headquarters in the city of Trento. The other university location is in
Rovereto. In total, over 16,000 students study in Trento. Through the
Euroregion Tyrol-South Tyrol-Trentino, the university also works closely together with the universities of
Innsbruck and
Bolzano. The University of Trento has the following faculties:
Transport
The
Autostrada A22 (part of the
European route E45) highway connects Trento to
Verona
Verona ( , ; vec, Verona or ) is a city on the Adige River in Veneto, Italy, with 258,031 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region. It is the largest city municipality in the region and the second largest in nor ...
and to
Bolzano,
Innsbruck and
Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...
.
Trento railway station, opened in 1859, forms part of the
Brenner railway (Verona–Innsbruck), which is the main rail connection between Italy and Germany. The station is also a
junction with the
Valsugana railway, which connects Trento to
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...
. Trento has several other railway stations, including Trento FTM railway station, terminus of the
Trento-Malè-Marilleva railway (FTM).
Bus or train services operate to the main surrounding valleys: Fassa, Fiemme, Gudicarie, Non, Primiero, Rendena, Sole, Tesino,
Valsugana.
The public transport network within the city consists of 20 bus lines operated by Trentino Trasporti and a funicular service to
Sardagna Sardagna is an Italian surname
A name in the Italian language consists of a given name ( it, nome), and a surname (); in most contexts, the given name is written before the surname. (In official documents, the Western surname may be written before ...
. The various railway stations within Trento's city limits are integrated into the public transport network.
File:Trento-Gianni Caproni airport seen from Obere Batterie Mattarello.jpg, Trento-Mattarello Airport
Trento-Mattarello Airport ( it, Aeroporto di Trento-Mattarello; ), also known as ''Aeroporto G.Caproni'', is an airfield located at ''Trentino'', south of Trento, Italy.
The airport is at an elevation of above mean sea level. It has one runwa ...
File:Trento-Trento-Venice railway viaduct.jpg, Valsugana railway
File:A22Rovereto.jpg, Autostrada A22 (Italy)
Sport
Local teams

*
Trentino Volley, one of the top teams in
Italian volleyball, has won the Italian championship four times, three times the
CEV Champions League title and five times the
club world cup
The FIFA Club World Cup is an international men's association football competition organised by the ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' (FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The competition was first contested in 20 ...
.
* Aquila Basket Trento has been playing regularly in the highest
Italian basketball league for several years and reached the final of the play-offs in the
2016/17 season and
2017/18 season.
*
A.C. Trento S.C.S.D. is one of the oldest football clubs in the region of
Trentino Alto Adige since its foundation in 1921. Starting in 2021, the club is to play in the third highest Italian league, the
Serie C
The Serie C () is the third-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie B and Serie A. The Lega Italiana Calcio Professionistico (Lega Pro) is the governing body that runs the Serie C.
The unification of the Lega ...
.
Sports venues
PalaTrento, now known as
BLM Group Arena
BLM Group Arena (formerly known as PalaTrento) is an indoor arena that is located in Trento, Italy. The arena is mainly used to host volleyball, basketball, futsal, and concerts. The capacity of the arena is 4,360, with 3,569 of the se ...
, opened in 2000, is an
indoor arena
An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectator ...
with a capacity of 4300 seats. Trentino Volley and Aquila Basket Trento play their respective games there.
*
Stadio Briamasco is a football stadium with a capacity of 4277 seats and is currently the home stadium of AC Trento.
Notable people

Notable people born in or associated with Trento include:
*
Jacopo Aconcio (ca.1520–ca.1566), an Italian jurist, theologian, philosopher and engineer.
*
Beniamino Andreatta (1928–2007), an Italian economist and politician.
*
Cesare Battisti (1875–1916), Italian patriot during the
Italian irredentism
*
Francesco Antonio Bonporti (1672–1749), an Italian priest and amateur composer.
*
Aliprando Caprioli, engraver of the 16th-century
*
Alcide De Gasperi (1881–1954), 30th
Prime Minister of Italy and one of the
founding fathers of the European Union
*
Ernest von Koerber (1850–1919), an Austrian liberal statesman, prime minister of the Austrian portion of
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
from 1900 to 1904
*
Johann Baptist von Lampi the Younger
Johann Baptist von Lampi the Younger (4 March 1775 – 17 February 1837) was an Austrian portrait painter.
Biography
He was born to the portrait painter, Johann Baptist von Lampi, now known as "The Elder", and his wife, Anna Maria née Fran ...
(1775–1837) an Austrian portrait painter.
*
Chiara Lubich (1920–2008), Italian teacher and author, founded the
Focolare Movement
*
Martino Martini (1614–1661), a Jesuit missionary, geographer, historian and missionary
*
Paolo Oss Mazzurana (1833–1895), Trento's most notable mayor, with progressive economic policies that impacted Trento's commercial sector and its eventual independence
*
Francesca Neri (born 1964), an Italian actress.
*
Antonio Pedrotti
Antonio Pedrotti (August 14, 1901 – May 15, 1975 in Trento) was an Italian conductor and composer.
He was born in Trento, at the time part of the County of Tyrol, part of the Austrian empire. ]He studied literature at the university and mu ...
(1901–1975), an Italian conductor and composer.
*
Andrea Pozzo (1642–1709), Jesuit Brother, baroque painter and architect
*
Galeas von Thun und Hohenstein
Fra' Galeas von Thun und Hohenstein (24 September 1850 – 26 March 1931) was the Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta from 1905 to 1931. His first name was also known as ''Galeazzo''.
Biography
He was born in Tr ...
(1850–1931), the
Prince and Grand Master of the
Sovereign Military Order of Malta from 1905 to 1931.
*
Alessandro Vittoria (1525–1608), an Italian
Mannerist sculptor of the
Venetian school
*
Hermann Zingerle
Hermann Zingerle (31 March 1870 – 25 April 1935) was an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist born in Trento.
In 1894 he earned his medical degree from the University of Innsbruck, becoming an assistant at the University of Graz during the ...
(1870–1935), an Austrian neurologist, psychiatrist and neuropathologist
Sport
*
Lorenzo Bernardi (born 1968), an Italian volleyball coach and former player, team silver medallist at the
1996 Summer Olympics
*
Mirko Bortolotti (born 1990), racing driver
*
Thomas Degasperi
Thomas Degasperi (born 18 January 1981) is an Italian professional water skier. He has won two World Championships, one Masters title, three Moomba masters titles, the Malibu open twice, the World Games, the European championships eight times, th ...
(born 1981), water skier, two time World Champion
*
Cesare Maestri
Cesare Maestri (2 October 1929 – 19 January 2021) was an Italian mountaineer and writer.
He was born in Trento in the Italian province of Trentino. He began climbing in the Dolomites, where he repeated many famous routes, often climbing t ...
(1929–2021), an Italian mountaineer and writer.
*
Amos Mosaner
Amos Mosaner (born 12 March 1995 in Trento) is an Italian curler from Cembra. He is an Olympic gold medallist, having won the mixed doubles event at the 2022 Winter Olympics with partner Stefania Constantini.
Career
Juniors
As a junior cur ...
(born 1995), an Italian curler, team gold medallist at the
2022 Winter Olympics
The 2022 Winter Olympics (2022年冬季奥林匹克运动会), officially called the XXIV Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Beijing 2022 (2022), was an international winter multi-sport event held from 4 to 20 February 2022 in Bei ...
*
Marvin Vettori (born 1993), an Italian professional
mixed martial artist
*
Renzo Videsott (1904–1974), an Italian alpinist and conservationist
International relations
Twin towns – sister cities
Trento is
twinned
Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to:
* In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so;
* Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning
* Twinning inst ...
with:
*
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf (Berlin), Germany (1966)
*
San Sebastián, Spain (1987)
*
Kempten, Germany (1987)
*
Prague 1, Czech Republic (2002)
Districts of Trento are
twinned
Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to:
* In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so;
* Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning
* Twinning inst ...
with:
*
Schwaz, Austria
*
Fließ
Fließ is a municipality in the Landeck district in the Austrian state of Tyrol located 5 km south of Landeck on the upper course of the river Inn, in the upper part of Upper Inn Valley. It has nine hamlets and was already populated at the R ...
, Austria
*
Ergolding, Germany
*
Herrsching, Germany
*
Neufahrn bei Freising
Neufahrn bei Freising () is a municipality in the district of Freising, in Bavaria, Germany. It has about 20,000 inhabitants and is located near the river Isar, 12 km southwest of Freising and 20 km northeast of Munich
Munich ( ...
, Germany
*
Znojmo, Czech Republic
Partner cities
*
Prijedor,
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and ...
*
Sławno
Sławno ( Kashubian/ Pomeranian: ''Słôwno'', german: Schlawe) is a town on the Wieprza river in Middle Pomerania region, north-western Poland, with 12,511 inhabitants (2019). It is the administrative seat of Gmina Sławno, though not part of ...
,
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is divided into Voivodeships of Poland, sixteen voivodeships and is the fifth most populous member state of the European Union (EU), with over 38 mill ...
See also
*
Trentino
Trentino ( lld, Trentin), officially the Autonomous Province of Trento, is an autonomous province of Italy, in the country's far north. The Trentino and South Tyrol constitute the region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, an autonomous regio ...
*
Val d'Adige (territory)
Val d'Adige (German: ''Etschtal'') is one of the sixteen districts of Trentino in the Italian region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. Unlike the other fifteen, it is a territory without an administrative seat. The major town part of its area is ...
References
Notes
Further reading
*
*
*
External links
Official homepage of Trento
{{Authority control
Cities and towns in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol