Castello del Buonconsiglio, Trento

The Buonconsiglio Castle is the largest and most important monumental complex in the Trentino Alto Adige region. From the 13th century until the end of the 18th century, it was the residence of the prince-bishops of Trento, and is composed of a series of buildings from different periods, enclosed within a wall in a position slightly elevated compared to the city. Castelvecchio is the oldest core, dominated by a massive cylindrical tower; the Magno Palazzo is the 16th-century expansion in the forms of the Italian Renaissance, commissioned by the prince-bishop and cardinal Bernardo Cles (1485-1539); the Baroque Giunta Albertiana dates back to the late 17th century. At the southern end of the complex is Torre Aquila, which houses the famous Cycle of the Months inside, one of the most fascinating late medieval secular pictorial cycles.

 

Especially due to the presence of extensive fresco cycles, the internal decorative apparatus is of extraordinary interest, mainly created by the bishops during the late medieval and Renaissance periods. After the end of the prince-bishopric (1803) the castle was used as a barracks; restored, in 1924 it became home to the National Museum and since 1973 it has belonged to the Autonomous Province of Trento. Currently, it is the main center of a museum system made up of five castles, among the most evocative and prestigious in the Trentino territory: associated with the one in Trento are the Castle of Stenico, in the Giudicarie Valleys, Castel Beseno, in the Adige Valley, between Trento and Rovereto, Castel Thun, in the Non Valley, and Castel Caldes in the Sole Valley.