Piazza Duomo in Trento

The city of the Council

Piazza Duomo is the heart of Trento and one of the most beautiful squares in the Alps, a harmonious space where Italian and Central European culture meet. Here, from 1545 to 1563, the Council of Trent was held, one of the most important events in the history of the Church: the bishops gathered by the Pope to respond to the Protestant Reformation of Luther defined Catholic doctrine for the following four centuries, launching the Counter-Reformation. The solemn sessions were held in the Cathedral of San Vigilio, a Romanesque-Gothic church in white and pink stone, with a large rose window, the "Wheel of Fortune", and two elegant staircases inside, and in the church of Santa Maria Maggiore.

In the centre of the square, the baroque Fountain of Neptune, of 1768, is the meeting point of the city. On one side stands the Palazzo Pretorio, the old bishop's palace with its tower, which houses the Museo Diocesano Tridentino, with precious Flemish tapestries and the cathedral treasure. On the opposite side, the Case Cazuffi-Rella, two Renaissance houses with façades entirely covered with frescoes of the sixteenth century, depicting allegorical and mythological scenes, are among the most photographed buildings in the city: in the sixteenth century, many façades of Trento were painted in this way, so that it was called the "painted city". Below the square, the S.A.S.S., an underground archaeological space, shows the remains of a street and walls of Roman Tridentum.

Tip: visit the S.A.S.S. to walk on the Roman street under the city; in December, the Christmas market is held in nearby Piazza Fiera.

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Where it is

More things to see in Trentino-South Tyrol

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