STOCK PHOTOGRAPHS of TRENTINO, ITALY

Trentino was twinned with its northern neighbour Alto Adige in 1948 to create a single region. It is a land of refreshingly unspoilt parks full of wildlife, castles set in glorious landscape, dramatic mountains and lakes - it even has its own small share of Lake Garda. At the centre of this little known region lies the main city of Trento while to the southeast and east its is bordered by the Veneto and to the west it adjoins Lombardy... It is a unspoilt rural area where outdoor life is highly prized and traditional ways of life continue ... Adige River.

Steeped in history and having a long connection with the arts, Trento's main claim to fame was the Council of Trent held between 1545 and 1563 at the mid point between the worlds of Italy and the Teutonic culture to the north. ...Church of Santa Maria Maggiore that the famous council took place. At the centre of the piazza is the Fontana del Nettuno, Neptune's Fountain from where you can admire a graceful array of buildings, in particular the two richly ... Torre Civica and the twelfth century Piazza Pretorio housing a museum with paintings of the Council of Trent in session.... Castello del Buonconsiglio, once the residence of a line of bishop princes dating back to the Middle Ages.

Rebuilt in Gothic Venetian style, in contains a fine frescoed portico, an provincial art museum and the excellent Torre dell'Aquila which contains intriguing fifteenth century frescoes Ciclo dei Mesi or, "The Cycle of the Months" illustrating contemporary rural life that repay close study. From the balcony you get a wonderful view of the city and surrounding Alpine landscape. To experience this dramatic Dolomite scenery at closer quarters it is well worth driving up to Monte Bondone reached by a zigzagging round that takes you up to a stunning panorama of an area abundant in wildlife and popular for winter sports. this is a wonderful spot to take in the landscape at the end of the day, just before sunset.

Just south of Trento and surrounded by vineyards is the region's second city of Rovereto, once an outpost of the Venetian Empire. A city that is proud of its cultural heritage yet seldom visited by tourists, eventhough the streets are lined with beautiful palaces and other fine medieval and Renaissance buildings... Sentiero della Pace or, "Path of Peace", has been established following the front lines where, in the winter of 1916 alone, more than 10,000 soldiers died. A famous local landmark is the Campania dei Caduti made from melted down cannon as well as the sombre circular monument to the WW1 dead...Lake Garda, where Trentino's small window on to the lake (the Veneto and Lombardy have the main shares) is centred around the popular resort of Riva del Garda.

Here steep mountains drop down to the water's edge and, although Alpine, the area is warm enough to grow olives and some particularly fine olive oil is made here by small producers. The waterfront of the attractive, colourful town is dominated by the stern Rocca di Riva, a medieval moated fortress reached by drawbridge. A stylish resort since the nineteenth century, it is a busy place in the short summer season as well as on fine weekends at any other times, even in deepest winter. To the northeast of the provincial capitol is the beautiful Val di Fiemme where you will find Cavalese, one of the most popular skiing resorts in Trentino, but also worth visiting in spring when the slopes are a mass of wildflowers.

In the centre of town you cannot fail to notice the most impressive building, the frescoed Palazzo della Magnifica Comunita, which was the Bishop of Trento's summer palace. Further up the valley is Canazei, an Alpine village providing a good base for exploring some of the best of the Dolomites possibly climbing in the Marmolada range which reaches a height of 3342 metres or skiing in the Sella area around Pordoi. Northwest of Trento is the Brenta range which offers some of the most famous of Trentino's mountain scenery such as around Madonna di Campiglio, a stylish ski resort, second only to Cortina d'Ampezzo...

© John Heseltine