Castello del Buonconsiglio e Torre dell'Aquila

38122, Trento, Italy

The Castello del Buonconsiglio is a museum as well as the largest monumental complex in Trentino-Alto Adige.

The Castle (Castello del Buonconsiglio), built up against the 13th city walls, served as the residence of the Bishops of Trento from the second half of the 13th century until the secularization of the principality in 1803. It was originally called Malconsey, after the small hill it is situated on, and later took the name of "Buonconsiglio", i.e. the community meeting place. Built for defence purposes on a rocky relief as a Roman "castrum", it became a real fortress in the 13th century. During the invasion of Napoleon, Pietro Vigilio Thun abandoned the castle which then became an Austrian military barracks. During the First World War the trial against the irredentists Cesare Battisti, Fabio Filzi and Damiano Chiesa took place there. The Italian State, which became the owner of the castle in 1918, gave it to the Autonomous Province of Trento in 1974. Today it is the seat of the Museo Provinciale d'Arte (Provincial Art Museum), monuments and provincial art collections. It holds numerous collections of art, paintings, sculptures, graphic works, miniate codes, majolica ovens, as well as archaeological and numismatic collections. Among its many Baroque and Gothic frescoes, an outstanding work is the Ciclo dei Mesi (Cycle of the Months) considered one of the most significant examples of international Gothic style in the world.
Between the 14th and 15th centuries the area was modified by Giorgio of Liechtenstein and Giovanni IV Hinderbach. Giorgio of Liechtenstein connected the Torre dell'Aquila to Castelvecchio and had it frescoed with the Ciclo dei Mesi. Giovanni IV Hinderbach commissioned the building of the merlon parapet works and the open gallery. In 1500 Cardinal Bernardo Clesio built the Renaissance Magno Palazzo frescoed by Dosso Dossi and by Girolamo Romanino. During the Baroque period the bishop Francesco Alberto Poia built the Giunta Albertiana.

 

Hours:
04/05/2010 - 07/11/2010 10.00 - 18.00
Other periods  9.30 - 17.00
Closed on mondays and January 1st - December 25th