The castles of Vallagarina

Discover the gifts of history, listen to the voice of the past: the mysteries and the legends



A trip to the castles of Vallagarina is a fascinating itinerary amidst ramparts and walls, a unique opportunity to get to know the history of our valley.

Between Rovereto and Trento, on the left bank of the Adige lies Castel Beseno, one of the most interesting and evocative examples of castle architecture in the alpine area.

On the slopes behind Castel Beseno, the gaze is drawn to Castel Pietra, with its splendid Sala del Giudizio (Hall of Judgement) frescoed with hunting scenes and the Judgement of Solomon.

The journey among the manors continues to Rovereto, where the Castello di Rovereto awaits or Castel Veneto, today the Museo Storico Italiano della Guerra (Italian War History Museum). The castle’s imposing architecture reveals its purely military function. Its rooms today are home to temporary and permanent exhibitions with a wealth of relics, written testimonies and uniforms dating back to different periods of our history.

Not far from lake Cei, on the right bank of the Adige, you will find the castello di Castellano where you can admire the Vallagarina from dizzying heights.

Castel Noarna, easily reached from the Rovereto Nord motorway exit, is today a farm and wine cellar with 35,000 bottles. Within the castle contemplate the precious frescoes of the school of Michelangelo and remember the sad events of the Nogaredo witches.

Castel Corno is one of the most fascinating castles of the Vallagarina, due above all to its position – it was constructed on the peak of an enormous rock obelisk. The castle dates from the year 1000 and today is the site for performances that evoke the legends of the knights who once lived there.

In Lower Vallagarina, not far from the border with Verona, stop off among the vineyards of the castello di Avio, today property of the FAI (Italian Environment Fund): its imposing walls and keep dominate the valley and invite you to enter and admire the perfectly preserved fresco cycles in the Sala delle Guardie (Guard room) and keep. On the FAI day in spring entrance is free.
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