Castel Stenico

Since time immemorial Stenico has featured an ancient castle, once known as a great social venue by the local aristocracy.

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The village of Stenico is situated in the Giudicarie Esteriori at 670 m a.s.l. and has about 1,200 inhabitants.
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Castel Stenico is located in the eastern part of the village.
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The castle is a medieval fortress which became the property of the bishop princes of Trento from the thirteenth century. It was the seat of the captain who administered the territory.
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Over the centuries the castle was extended and rebuilt. From the outside Castel Stenico looks like a medieval fortress, while inside it has the appearance of an elegant residence thanks to the beautiful frescoes and sculptural decorations.
Foto: AT, © Peer
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Castel Stenico has been owned by the Autonomous Province of Trento since 1975 and has since then been the venue for exhibitions, contemporary art competitions and photography.
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Today Castel Stenico is a branch of the Museo Castello del Buonconsiglio di Trento. Inside it houses an important archaeological department.
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Beautiful Romanesque palace overlooking the castle courtyard.
Foto: AT, © Peer
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Foto: AT, © Peer
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Foto: AT, © Peer
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Foto: AT, © Peer
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The Chapel of San Martino: inside there is an extraordinary cycle of sacred frescoes of the Romanesque school, a rare example of Romanesque painting in Trentino.
Foto: AT, © Peer
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The best preserved frescoes depict episodes from the life of Jesus: Annunciation, birth and crucifixion. There is also an apocalyptic scene and figures of saints.
Foto: AT, © Peer

High above the village of Stenico in the Giudicarie valley towers Castel Stenico, one of the oldest castles all over the region and of utmost strategic importance.

Its history is inextricably linked with the past of the prince bishops of Trento, who owned the castle until the 18th century. When in the 18th century the country was occupied by Napoleon and its troops, the castle began to decay and decline. In 1975 the castle was finally handed over to the authorities of Trento. Since then it has been hosting exhibitions, competitions of modern art and photography as well as archeological collections.

A mighty wall surrounds the castle in the south, while in the north an outer courtyard secludes the building. Opposite to the outer courtyard, there is the Palazzo Romanico. While the so-called Torre della Fame, the tower of hunger, is the oldest part of the castle, the S. Martino chapel with its precious romanic frescoes dates back to the 13th century. Definitely worth seeing is also a hall called Sala del Camino Nero. Also worth seeing inside is the important archaeological section of local history, an exhibition of furniture, frescoes, weapons and ancient tools from the collections of the Museo Castello del Buonconsiglio in Trento, to which Castel Stenico belongs.

Currently, access may be subject to certain restrictions.