Buonconsiglio Castle – Trento

Description

Buonconsiglio Castle is an imposing monumental complex comprising a series of buildings from different eras, enclosed within a ring of walls in a slightly elevated position above the city of Trento.
Castelvecchio is the oldest nucleus, dominated by a mighty cylindrical tower; the Magno Palazzo marks the 16^th-century expansion in the style of the Italian Renaissance; while the Baroque Giunta Albertiana dates to the late 17^th century. At the southern end of the complex is the Aquila tower, which preserves a famous cycle of the months, one of the most fascinating pictorial cycles with a profane theme of the late Middle Ages.
The construction of Castelvecchio dates to the first half of the 13^th century, along the eastern stretch of the city walls on a rocky rise near the Adige river: a massive structure, whose façade was built with squared stones, included defensive elements such as arrow slits, a Gothic iron gate and ancient drawbridge. The three tiers of battlements on the façade mark the subsequent phases of raising the structure (14^th-15^th centuries). The Guelph cross windows and, above them, the loggia, makes the architecture more elegant and underlines the transition of the structure from a purely defensive to a residential function. A suspended passage around the courtyard connects Castelvecchio to the Magno Palazzo, which was used as a residence and is finely decorated inside. Linking these two structures is the Giunta Albertiana, which follows the architectural lines of the Magno Palazzo with interiors decorated in the tastes of the time.

Position on map