At the foot of Castel Drena, which dominates the deep gorge of Rio Sallagoni, visible from the high crenellated tower, lies the striking Marocche desert, created by a peculiar glacial phenomenon that produced a field of boulders for a total of 187 million cubic metres.

Built during the 13th century, Castel Drena possibly stands over a prehistoric village. Its strategic location made it the subject of continuous disputes in the Middle Ages, since it blocked and controlled the only viable passage.

Impervious to fire, defended by two tiers of walls and built on the rock in a dominant position, the castle was impregnable with the assault means used at the time. The building’s style is essentially Romanesque, with some Gothic elements and a few 16th century structures.

The remains of a small church dedicated to St. Martin, a cult that followed the Franks expansion, document that the area was actively frequented already in the Carolingian period (9th- 10th century).

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Castel Drena

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Arco Castle (Italian: Castello di Arco, German: Schloss Arch) is a ruined castle located on a prominent spur high above Arco and the Sarca Valley in Trentino, northern Italy.
History
The exact date of its foundation is unknown but it existed at least after the year 1000 AD. The area around Arco was inhabited already before the Middle Ages, the castle was said to have been built by the citizens and only later becoming the property of the local nobles.
The counts of Arco (from Latin arcus, 'bow'), probably of Italian origin (a presumed kinship with the Bavarian counts of Bogen could not be established), were first mentioned in 1124 deed; they temporarily served as liensmen of the Trent prince-bishops. Though they were raised to comital (Grafen) status by the Hohenstaufen emperor Frederick II in 1221, they had to acknowledge the overlordship of the Meinhardiner princely counts of Tyrol in 1272.

The Counts of Arco were expelled by the Prince-Bishops of Trent in 1349, whereafter the castle fell to the Veronese noble house of Scaliger. Nevertheless, they regained the castle in a local uprising, and in 1413 further strengthened their position by obtaining the status of Imperial immediacy from the hands of Emperor Sigismund in 1413. However, in the long run, they could not prevail against the mighty House of Habsburg, rulers of Tyrol since 1363. Arco Castle was captured in 1579, and the counts had to submit to the Habsburgs in 1614. Their estates were officially seized by Emperor Leopold I in 1680.

The castle was later abandoned after a siege by French troops under General Duke Louis Joseph of Vendôme in the course of the War of the Spanish Succession in 1703. A careful restoration began 1986 and following others in more recent years restorations have found a number of frescoes depicting knights and court ladies of medieval times.

Arco Castle

The Castle of Castellano (Italian: Castello di Castellano, German: Schloss Kastellein) is a manor house built around 1000, located in the village of Castellano, in the municipality of Villa Lagarina, in Trentino.

It is one of the most famous castles of Vallagarina, offering a panorama of the entire valley. Owned by numerous noble families, of which the most important was the Lodron, it was later transformed into an Austrian-Hungarian fortress in World War I.

It once housed frescoes, now preserved in the Civic Museum of Rovereto.

Castle of Castellano


Castel Madruzzo

Surrounded by woods, at the edge of the Lomaso Plain, Castel Campo rises, a gorgeous complex with two cylindrical turrets.

Due to its protected position and thanks to the vicinity to the connecting roads in the valley, Castel Campo could have been a place of refuge originally. What is certain is that since 1190 it was the seat of the powerful Campo family. In the course of years, Castel Campo was enlarged for several times. Partly the castle was changed greatly, so that the character of a fortress is almost missing today. At the beginning of the 20th century, Campo Castle was converted into a romantic villa.

The architectural gem also offers special rooms inside with neo-Gothic style features. In 1922 Castel Campo was bought by the Rasini family from Milan, who still owns the castle today.

Castel Campo is accessible within the various events during the year. But it can also be visited after consultation with the owners.

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Castel Campo

Castel Noarna is located in a strategic position on Vallagarina, surrounded by vineyards. Its origin must probably date back to the VI-VII century. as a Roman fortification point, while the first documents concerning the fortress of Castelnuovo di Noarna date back to 1177.

The lords who resided here took the name from the castle itself and were the owners of it at that time the scene of numerous clashes between Guelphs and Ghibellines. At that time the fief of the Castelnuovo already included the countries of Noarna, Pomarolo and Castellano. At the end of 1200 the Castelnuovo family declined and the manor passed to the Castelbarco family, one of the most important families of the Principality of Trento. In 1486 it became a possession of the Lodron family, after a long dispute with the Calstelbarco, which also involved the Republic of Venice, who supported the new owners to guarantee support in the valley.

After a few years, precisely in 1646, the chronicles report a famous "witch trial" that involved dozens of people from all the countries of Vallagarine and survived for over a year and arrived, after numerous tortures, to be condemned by beheading and subsequent stake of 5 women.

The Castle assumed its current appearance under the possession of Londron, which refined the defensive fortification to make it a noble residence: new residential areas added to the existing and the interiors embellished with frescoes. Since 1974 the Castle belongs to the Zani family, historical hoteliers from Trentino who have implemented and modernized the wine vocation of the territories surrounding the manor. Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Blanc, Merlot, Gewürztraminer, Lagrein, Nosiola, Riesling are cultivated.

The Castle is open for guided tours and tastings of the wines produced.

Castel Noarna

Castel Noarna

Numerous legends and myths grow around this romantic castle on the shores of Lake Toblino.
Built as an ancient temple on the sunny shores of Lake Toblino, Castel Toblino is nowadays one of the most renowned lake fortresses all over Trentino.

Numerous legends and forbidden love affairs have made this pretty castle so famous. It was by the way Cardinal Bernardo Clesio in the 16th century and later on the nobles of Madruzzo, who made the castle look the way it does today. All that remains of the medieval castle layout are the wall to the west and a turret to the north-west. The cylindrical tower, the symbol of the castle, has a height of 20 metres and is therefore the main tower of the complex.

In the course of the years the castle has been turned into a hotel and restaurant. Castel Toblino can be visited by appointment.

Castel Toblino

Originally the castle belonged to the municipality, but then passed into the hands of the Counts of Appiano and other noble families. Also the archdiocese of Trento owned the castle until the Napoleonic era. At the beginning of the 19th century, Tenno Castle was visibly decaying, as it had already lost its importance. It was bought by private people who restored it but could not preserve its typical medieval character. The fortress was finally converted into a summer residence. The square keep, the only element preserved from the Middle Ages, collapsed in 1920.

Castello di Tenno is in private hands today and the new owners have started restoration work.

https://www.trentino.com

Castello di Tenno

Since time immemorial Stenico has featured an ancient castle, once known as a great social venue by the local aristocracy.
High above the village of Stenico in the Giudicarie valley towers Castel Stenico, one of the oldest castles all over the region and of utmost strategic importance.

Its history is inextricably linked with the past of the prince bishops of Trento, who owned the castle until the 18th century. When in the 18th century the country was occupied by Napoleon and its troops, the castle began to decay and decline. In 1975 the castle was finally handed over to the authorities of Trento. Since then it has been hosting exhibitions, competitions of modern art and photography as well as archeological collections.

A mighty wall surrounds the castle in the south, while in the north an outer courtyard secludes the building. Opposite to the outer courtyard, there is the Palazzo Romanico. While the so-called Torre della Fame, the tower of hunger, is the oldest part of the castle, the S. Martino chapel with its precious romanic frescoes dates back to the 13th century. Definitely worth seeing is also a hall called Sala del Camino Nero.

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Castel Stenico

Would you like to relive the feelings of the great German poet Goethe when he first looked out over Lake Garda? This trek follows in his footsteps on the historic Strada di Santa Lucia trail with the addition of an interesting stop-off to visit the ruins of Castel Penede

Author’s recommendation
Can you imagine massive Venetian galleys being hauled over the mountains? Well, in 1439, this is precisely what happened. Brescia, an ally of Venice, was under threat from the Milanese troops and intervention was needed in their defence. The Venetians sailed up the River Adige with 25 boats and 6 galleys which were dismantled and transported with the help of 2000 oxen to the port of Torbole, passing through the Santa Lucia valley. In 1440 the little fleet defeated the Milanese and liberated Riva del Garda.

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Castel Penede

It is due to Venetian aristocrats that the castle got its so characteristic polygonal shape. The guard’s walkways, the moat, the keeps, the bow ram and the mighty bastion render the building one of the best examples of late-medieval fortresses all over the Alpine region.

The castle was built in the 14th century by the noble Castelbarco family, who in 1509 handed it over to the Habsburgs. While it became an asylum for homeless people and a penal institution in early 19th century, it served as a military seat from 1859 to 1918. During World War I, both the castle and the town of Rovereto were occupied by Austrian troops and thus merciless shelled by the Italian artillery.

Since 1921 the castle has been housing the Italian Museum of War. More than 30 halls tell everything about Italy’s past and even about the castles of the Vallagarina valley.

https://www.trentino.com