Castello del Buonconsiglio and Torre Aquila

The largest castle complex in the region, Castello del Buonconsiglio was the residence of the prince-bishops of Trento from the 13th century to the end of the 18th century. A massive round tower dominates the 13th-century Castelvecchio, the oldest part, expanded with an Italian Renaissance-style Magno Palazzo in the 16th century and the Baroque Giunta Albertiana in the late 17th century. At the south end is the Torre Aquila, whose interior is decorated with the exceptional 15th-century Cycle of the Months, one of the finest cycles of secular art from the late Middle Ages. It depicts court life and outdoor activities month by month. Inside the Magno Palazzo, walls are decorated by another cycle of frescoes painted from the late Middle Ages to the Renaissance period. The Castello houses the Museo Provinciale d'Arte, with sculptures, period furniture, archaeological, and ethnological collections and the Museo del Risorgimento. These exhibits relate to Italy's struggle for unification and liberation from the Austro-Hungarian Empire.