DISCOVER TRENTINO CASTLES THIS SUMMER

THE LITTLE ‘TRENINO DEI CASTELLI’ ON THE TRACKS OF HISTORY AND CULTURE   

There is a slow way to get to know and enjoy the territory of the valleys of Non and Sole where, amidst vines and rows of apple trees, castles rich in history and culture soar. A world that, from May through September, can be savoured aboard a train.

The journey starts in Trento aboard a train with dedicated carriages on which breakfast can be enjoyed. From the provincial capital, you begin to climb the slopes of the Valli del Noce. After visiting Castle San Michele di Ossana, which stands on a rocky spur and has a mighty 25 meters high keep, we go down by coach along the Val di Sole valley to Castel Caldes. This manor presents an architectural typology resulting from the meeting of Venetian, German and Lombard cultures, typical of this area on the border of the Episcopal Principality of Trento.

The day continues at Castel Valer, an elegant private residence recognisable by its characteristic polygonal tower, the most imposing in the province thanks to its 40-metre height, and finally at Castel Thun, one of the most interesting examples of castle architecture in Trentino. Among the many rooms, still abundantly furnished and embellished with numerous art works, the most valuable is the "bishop's room," entirely clad in pine wood, with a coffered ceiling and a monumental door. Then tourists return to the capital, again by bus.

Reservations are required and subject to availability at www.iltreninodeicastelli.it

Dates in 2023

Saturday 6, Saturday 13, Saturday 20 and Saturday 27 May; Saturday 3, Saturday 10, Saturday 17 and Saturday 24 June; Saturday 1, Saturday 8, Saturday 15, Saturday 22 and Saturday 29 July; Saturday 5, Saturday 12, Saturday 19 and Saturday 26 August: Saturday 2 and Saturday 9 September

SUMMER IN THE CASTLES

Given the success at Buonconsiglio Castle, both the "All Crazy for Japan" and the "Encounters in Japan" exhibitions move to Castle Stenico from 24th May to 8th October. At Castel Caldes, from 16th June to 6th November, visitors can admire an exhibition dedicated to the landscape painter Bartolomeo Bezzi promoted as part of the initiatives related to the centenary of the death of the famous painter from Val di Sole.

The summer in these castles will host concerts, workshops and theatrical visits for adults and children.  

At Castel Beseno, the"All'armi All'armi"event will return in addition to the usual historical re-enactments with armigers, falconry will return to Castel Stenico, and courtly love will return to Castel Caldes. In contrast, at Castle Buonconsiglio, the Open-Air Cinema will return with films related to the theme of the summer exhibition - the 16th century.

CASTEL VALER

Castel Valer is one of the few castles in Trentino still inhabited today. This is the Spaur Family’s residence, where 26 generations have lived and taken stewardship. At the end of 2022, the trust agreed with the Autonomous Province of Trento to sell the castle, which will become a public asset. It is amazing how Castel Valer has been maintained over time, since dating back to 1346. There are 12 spaces that can be visited, including the Gothic kitchen, Madruzzi's rooms, the hall of coats of arms, the loggia, and the well-kept gardens. The rooms are perfectly furnished and lived in, making one imagine daily life inside a castle. The visit takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Castel Valer can only be visited by guided tour, which must be booked online on the visitvaldinon.it website.

DISCOVERING CASTEL BELASI

Set in a scenic spot at the foot of the Brenta Dolomites, among the apple orchard-covered hills of the lower Val di Non valley, Castel Belasi is a fortified complex founded in the late 13th century for the establishment of Tyrolean rule in the area, embodying the spirit of a territory between north and south, Mediterranean, and Germanic culture. Inhabited by the aristocratic descendants of the Khuen-Belasi until the mid-20th century, the castle, with its characteristic pentagonal tower, now presents itself to the public after extensive restoration, in all the splendour of the frescoes that have been passed down, dating from between the 15th and 16th centuries. Bound together by a cautionary leitmotif and giving rise to a curious bestiary inhabited by monkeys and bears, the frescoes of Castle Belasi present a Queen of Sheba of rare beauty, a cycle from Ovid's "Metamorphoses", a "Judgement of Paris" signed by Bartlme Dill Riemenschneider and scenes of chivalry, while freed from Nordic taste is the Hall of Fruit and Music, executed by a painter from the workshop of Marcello Fogolino and responding to the stylistic features of the Italian Renaissance. Castle Belasi is not only a treasure chest of the past but an exhibition space with a permanent exhibition of the provincial Historical Photographic Archive and temporary exhibitions of contemporary art of international scope.

The castle this year is open from June 11 to the end of October. During this period, it is hosting the contemporary art exhibition, "Come Pioggia," created in collaboration with MUSE - Trento Science Museum and its creative platform on the Anthropocene, "We Are the Flood," through visually striking images, engages and makes people think about desirable futures.

The visionary approach of art and the anticipatory approach of science meet to imagine desirable futures at Castel Belasi in this exhibition curated by Stefano Cagol, artistic director of the castle. www.castelbelasi.it/

CASTLE PERGINE

Castel Pergine, in Valsugana, a twenty-minute drive from Trento, is Italy's first collective historical asset, purchased in 2018 by the non-profit Castel Pergine Foundation through a popular subscription initiative. It is also an ideal place for musical and theatrical events and the site of an annual exhibition and a model of sustainable tourism. Housed within the castle is a historic hotel with 17 rooms and three towers for a relaxing stay in close contact with history and art. New for this year, the castle's gourmet restaurant "Semola Fina al Castello," housed in the Baronial Palace, has entrusted young chefs Manuel Merlo and Sofia Omodeo Iuli, to develop a sustainability-oriented menu using local and organic products.

The 30th art exhibition at Castel Pergine will feature Bavarian artist Andreas Kuhnlein with his large wooden works. "Traces of Humanity" consists of 23 sculptures and sculptural groups that highlight the strong natural connotation of the castle complex's parks. www.castelpergine.it

Further info: https://www.visittrentino.info/en/articles/art-and-culture/castles-exhibitions-events