San Michele all'Adige
Discovering Customs and Traditions of Trentino People
Built on the banks of River Adige as ancient bastions to guard the Via Claudia Augusta - a Roman northbound artery of communication - the two hamlets of San Michele and Grumo still play the role of age-old tradition-rich venues. For centuries, the artistic Baroque Church and the Augustinian Monastery perched at the centre of San Michele have borne witness to the conflicts between Tyrol Counts and Trento Bishop Princes.
San Michele all'Adige also hosts the Museo degli usi e costumi della Gente Trentina (Museum of Trentino People's Habits and Customs). Its fascinating ethnographic collection and non-stop research work have made it one of the best qualified museums of this kind in the Alps. A visit is certainly a must for those who are curious and interested in local traditions, as well as those who wish to visit its historical wine cellar, or enjoy a walk through the vineyards or along the riverbanks, where the Adige smoothly and relaxingly flows by.
Know today as Fondazione Edmund Mach foundation, the Istituto Agrario di San Michele all´Adige (Agricultural Institute of San Michele all´Adige) studies the evolution of traditional wine-making culture. Together with the Istituto per la Tecnologia del Legno (Institute for the Technology of Wood), which carries out research on the agricultural, wine growing and wood sector on behalf of the Centre for Natural Research - via its analytical and testing laboratories - they prove the area's focus on research and development.