The large five-floor tower house from the 13th century was donated to the Thun family, who incorporated it into a new square building, the current Caldes Castle.
The inside is fascinating, with vaulted ceilings, wood panelling and frescoed rooms. Quite remarkable are the count’s room and the ballroom. After climbing the tower’s wooden staircase, you enter a room with frescoes all over the walls, telling ancient stories about the imprisonment of the unfortunate young countess Marianna Elisabetta Thun. Legend has it that the frescoes in the small room, known as Olinda’s prison, are her own work.
The Castle belongs to the Autonomous Province of Trento, that restored it and turned it into a prestigious venue for exhibitions and cultural events.
References:The Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere is one of the oldest churches of Rome. The basic floor plan and wall structure of the church date back to the 340s, and much of the structure to 1140-43. The first sanctuary was built in 221 and 227 by Pope Callixtus I and later completed by Pope Julius I.
The inscription on the episcopal throne states that this is the first church in Rome dedicated to Mary, mother of Jesus, although some claim that privilege belongs to the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore. A Christian house-church was founded here about 220 by Pope Saint Callixtus I (217-222) on the site of the Taberna meritoria, a refuge for retired soldiers. The area was made available for Christian use by Emperor Alexander Severus when he settled a dispute between the Christians and tavern-keepers.
The church underwent two restorations in the fifth and eighth centuries and in 1140-43 it was re-erected on its old foundations under Pope Innocent II.