Trento Favorites

Favorite thing: My favourite thing about Trento is the free tour. Bring it on I say. Shame I've only had the first ten minutes of it. Twice! (see my Intro page for humorous view).
It happens on Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and is multilingual.
One of the first things you get to see on the tour (no matter how many times you take it) is the Palazzo Salvadori, a Renaissance-style palace built in the early 1500s by the Lombard artist Lucio di Pietro.
What you find out though is that it sits where the Jewish synagogue from the middle ages once was.
There are two oval medallions above the doors, sculpted by Francesco Oradini. They tell a poignant tale of how a boy was found "drowned" in the river but, upon inspection, he was believed to have been strangled.
The Jews were falsely blamed (as they seem to be for most things) and the Catholics did nothing to stem that victimization (as our guide was wont to point out) and so today these two plaques depict Simonino's martrydom and glory. The victimization was officially recanted in 1965.
A rough translation (and here I am indebted to fellow VT member tapis volant) goes as follows: "In the depths of these buildings where once there was a synagogue now a small shrine has been constructed. The blessed matyr, three toothed Simon, 29 months old,was murdered by utmost torture by the Jews on the 23rd March 1475 in the dead of night."
Here again I am indebted to tapis_volant for her work in tracking the full story down.
"Born in Trent, Italy, in 1472; died 1475. According to reports of the time, Simon was a 2-1/2-year-old Christian boy living in Trent, Italy. The story was told that the Jews met in the synagogue on Tuesday of Holy Week to decide how to celebrate Passover that year, which fell on Holy Thursday. Reportedly, they
decided to sacrifice a Christian child on Good Friday out of hatred for Christ.
A Jewish doctor cajoled young Simon from his home while his parents were attending the Tenebrae service on Wednesday evening.

Fondest memory: The story continues that he was murdered at midnight on Holy Thursday. The description of his crucifixion is horrid. After his death his body was supposedly hidden in various places to prevent his parents from finding it and finally thrown into the river.
Under intensive and terrible torture, those arrested for the crime admitted to it, were executed after further torture, and burnt. The synagogue was destroyed and a chapel erected on the spot where the child was thought to have been martyred. The child's relics now rest in a stately tomb in St Peter's Church in Trent. Though the murder was blamed on the Jews of Trent, there never was
any proof that such a crime was committed for ritualistic purposes. The account of Tiberinus, the physician who inspected the child's body, and the juridical acts can be found with recorded notes of the day.
The trial was reviewed in Rome by Sixtus IV in 1478 but he did not authorize the cultus of Saint Simon; it was done by Sixtus V in 1588, largely on account of miracles worked at his shrine.
While miracles were later reported at the child's tomb, this is not one of the more stellar events in the history of the Church as evidenced by the removal of his name from the Roman Martyrology in 1965 by the Sacred Congregation of Rites, that forbade all future veneration. The cause behind the child's death is considered quite uncertain.
As to why his feast is celebrated liturgically if it is forbidden I'll venture a guess. There are probably some churches which had been dedicated to his patronage and celebrate their patronal feast day. It is indeed possible that Simon is numbered among the saints in heaven, as evidenced by the miracles, but not for being a martyr, which is the primary reason the cultus was banned.
In art, St. Simon is a child crucified, tortured, or mocked by Jews. At times
he may be shown (1) strangled with a cloth around his neck, holding a banner,
nails, and pincers; or (2) with a palm (sign of a martyr) and long bodkin."

Favorite thing: Questa non e' Trento, ma una valle in provincia di Trento. Qui soggiornava il Presidente del Consiglio Alcide Degasperi.

This is't Trento, but one Valley in province of Trento. Here lived also the Prime Minister Alcide Degasperi.

Favorite thing: Castel Stenico crowns a hilltop in the foothills of the Dolomites, above the village of the same name. It is one of the oldest examples of the evolution of castle building, recorded as long ago as the 10th century and which continued developing until the area came under Austrian rule. Its history is closely connected with the episcopate princedom of Trento. In accordance with successive art typologies the bishops transformed it into an elegant and secure castle residence.

Fondest memory: The frescos in the great halls are especially noteworthy, probably the work of Marcello Fogolino who was present at the court of Bernardo Clesio in Trento. The castle’s decline began during the occupation by Napoleonic troops. In 1829 it became the property of the Austrian state and was used to house the royal courts of the valley. To the south, behind the walls, a new connection between the two existing buildings was built. Eventually the castle was conferred to the Italian state and the first restoration work began in 1910. From 1973 onwards the work was continued by the Autonomous Province of Trento which had by then assumed responsibility (until 1957 a part of the castle housed the Stenico Carabinieri station). The castle complex is reached from the village square along a steep ramp up to the north wall, passing a hotel which was at one time the castle stables. Above the entrance portal there were originally two small open turrets. Its distant image can be made out in the fresco ‘cycle of the months’ in the tower Torre dell’Aquila (approx. 1400) in the Buonconsiglio castle at Trento. It is a venue for contemporary art and photographic competitions and has a significant archaeological section covering the area’s history. The castle is owned by the Autonomous Province of Trento and is open every day except Mondays (during the tourist season there are free guided tours each Wednesday - advance notice appreciated).

Favorite thing: If you're not happy of my previous picture then here's one I prepared earlier................about a year earlier in fact. During my brief visit the previous year, curtailed due to illness, I took this snap immediately after I pulled up in the carpark.

Favorite thing: This was the view from my hotel, Hotel Aquila D'oro, located literally across the square from the Duomo. I can say this is probably the best view in town of Trento's city center. I had this view for two weeks and it was one of the most memorable stays I've ever had. Every morning at 7am the bells of the Duomo would ring loudly, waking the whole town up. Watching from my balcony, at night people would stroll along the narrow streets until very late. This is an experience one wouldn't get anywhere else!

Fondest memory: Like other historic cities and towns in Italy, Trento also has a magnificent Duomo located at the heart of the town. The ancient architecture is attractive and adds a historic feel to Trento. Indeed, Trento has a rich history dating back centuries. What an enjoyable sight!

Fondest memory: Just outside of Trento are green rolling hills and beautiful mountains. There are also a lot of farmland on these hills making a wonderful scenery. On the train near Trento you should be able to see this kind of scenery. You'll actually see more of this scenery if you take the local area buses as well as long distance buses.

Favorite thing: Trento, due to its position on the valley floor, has access to a wide variety of scenery within an hour's drive in any direction. I know this because I've been in every direction!
You have the unsurpassed Dolomites (see my sporting section) and, more so on the western side, some glorious lakes.

Fondest memory: I stayed at Malcesine, which is an easy and pretty drive away from Trento. Apart from the waterside castle, so loved by Goethe, the main attraction is the Monte Baldo cable car. I had to use a picture off the brochure because, the day I went to see what all the fuss was about, it was impossibly fog ridden and visibility was down to about 200 metres in places. The days after, it was shut for a month for maintenance.
One of the interesting features of this cable car, apart from the 1,650 metres lift, is that the cable car slowly turns so everyone gets a chance to savour the view.
I actually stayed in a hotel just beyond the castle in this picture.