Stenico Castle, Stenico, Italy

A seat of power built on a spur overlooking the roads of communication towards the Valli Giudicarie, Stenico Castle dates back to more than 2000 years. It was first built as a refuge for the Stoni - a proud Alpine population exterminated by the Romans - from which the town takes its name.

The castle history is closely tied to the Prince-Bishops of Trento, who also used to administer justice. Legend has it that prisoners were left to die of starvation in the hunger tower, and that their restless spirits still appear on full-moon nights.

In the 18th century, the castle saw the beginning of its decadence with the Napoleonic occupation. The first refurbishing works began in 1910 and were later continued in 1973 by the Autonomous Province of Trento.

Visitors can access the castle on a steep ramp connecting the piazza to the town of Stenico. The frescoes housed in the main rooms are of particular interest. Nowadays the castle is an important venue and hosts exhibitions, photographic and contemporary art contests as well as concerts and other performances. Furthermore, it also hosts a prized archaeological section dedicated to local history as well as a furniture, paintings, arms and ancient tools exhibition borrowed from the collections of the Museum of the Castello del Buonconsiglio in Trento, of which it is a branch.

References:

Trentino Cultura

User Reviews

Ian Whittaker (5 years ago)
Lovely little castle, combine with the waterfall 1km away. Worth paying to go up the staircase to the top of the waterfall and the short walk to the botany exhibition. Covid 19 measures well organised.

Lennart Sluis (6 years ago)
Mythical location for a beautiful castle. Undiscovered pearl.

Peter Little (6 years ago)
Fantastic place & surrounding area. Mountain sides and valleys.. Holidays treat to be there.

Christopher Finch (6 years ago)
A surprise castle that we weren't expecting. Only 7 Euros for an adult and masses of history going back centuries for the castle and about 3000 years for the surrounding area. Well worth a visit if you like castles, history and spectacular views.

Bob Francis Jeanne Ekstrom (7 years ago)
Interesting

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Ninara

Historic Site of the week

The Church of the Holy Cross

The church of the former Franciscan monastery was built probably between 1515 and 1520. It is located in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Old Rauma. The church stands by the small stream of Raumanjoki (Rauma river).

The exact age of the Church of the Holy Cross is unknown, but it was built to serve as the monastery church of the Rauma Franciscan Friary. The monastery had been established in the early 15th century and a wooden church was built on this location around the year 1420.

The Church of the Holy Cross served the monastery until 1538, when it was abandoned for a hundred years as the Franciscan friary was disbanded in the Swedish Reformation. The church was re-established as a Lutheran church in 1640, when the nearby Church of the Holy Trinity was destroyed by fire.

The choir of the two-aisle grey granite church features medieval murals and frescoes. The white steeple of the church was built in 1816 and has served as a landmark for seafarers.

Stenico Castle

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

The Church of the Holy Cross