The ancient Roman settlement called Tridentum, erected on the Doss Trento hill, later spread to its lower
slopes (Pič di Castello), and in Medieval times the successive town walls also enclosed the villages which had
appeared on the opposite bank of the Adige, where the current city has developed. Trento has grown
considerably also during the twentieth century, gradually spreading from the bottom of the valley to the slopes
of the surrounding hills.
The city of Trento vaunts important artistic monuments, including the Romanesque Cathedral from the 13th
century, the Castle of Buon Consiglio (13th-14th century), the former residence of the bishop princes, the
churches of S. Lorenzo, S. Maria Maggiore, S. Francesco, the Civic tower, Neptune's fountain and numerous
palaces from the 16th and 17th century.
The town is located in a mountain basin, on the left bank of the Adige, in the point where it is joined by the
river Fersina. Due to its position, on the roads connecting Northern Europe through the Brenner pass (railway
line and Verona-Brenner motorway), Trento is an important trade centre; it is surrounded by fertile farmland
with vineyards and orchards.
The economy of the city has benefited substantially in recent years by the large-scale exploitation of the vast
hydroelectric resources of the surrounding territory, which has made it possible to install numerous industrial
plants. The most important sectors are those specialised in the production of yarn for car tires, chemistry,
engineering, electrotechnics, cement, wood and graphic arts. The service sector is also important, as the city
is the administrative seat of the province and the region, and has an Athanaeum with numerous faculties.
Numerous tourists visit the area, both in summer and in winter: favourite locations include the upper branches
of the Garda Lake (Torbole and Riva del Garda), the Caldonazzo Lake, Madonna di Campiglio, Fai della
Paganella and the Val di Non.
The second most important industrial town in the area is Rovereto (foundries, plastic material factories, paper
mills and large tobacco plants). A castle from the 14th century hosts the War Museum, Italy's richest
collection of relics and documents related to World War I.
