Museum Palazzo della Magnifica Comunità di Fiemme

This majestic palace in Cavalese was supposedly built at the end of the 13th century. After 1314 it became the permanent seat of the bishop's representative and was then converted into a summer residence for the prince-bishop.
From the 15th century on the building was enlarged, modified and decorated. The Palazzo acquired its current dimensions thanks to Udalrico III of Frunsberg (1486 - 1493) who linked the different sections of the complex dating back to former times. The best artists of the Castello del Buonconsiglio completely rearranged the residence by building new prisons on the ground floor, by separating the rooms of the vicar from those of the bishop and by adding a large court. At the beginning of the 19th century the building was converted into a prison. In 1850 it was purchased and restored by the Magnifica Comunità Generale di Fiemme.

Let's begin this thrilling time travel by visiting the most important rooms of the building. The wonderfully decorated Waiting room (sala d'attesa) gives access to the noble rooms of the vicar's appartment. Here, people waited for their turn to meet the bishop's official. The wooden spiral staircase gives access to both the court and the second floor. The next stop is where the vicar fell into the arms of Morpheus. Set up in 1539, the bedroom of the vicar (stanza da letto del vicario) is the only room of the entire building which has preserved its original furniture to this day. In former times, wood was commonly used for bedrooms thanks to its moisture-absorbing capacity, which ensured a warmer environment. Next, you visit the court (Sala delle Udienze or Salone Clesiano) where the atmosphere was definitely heavier and more tense than in the place you were at before. In the court, the judge of the prince-bishop and the Council of the judges of Fiemme (Consiglio dei Giurati di Fiemme) issued sentences.
Other rooms worth visiting are the study (studiolo) where the prince-bishop used to study and reflect, and the prison (prigioni) dating back to the 15th century. The most ancient prison cells situated on the ground floor were in use until the 19th century.

End your trip on a high note by admiring the stunning Renaissance fresco cycle which was most probably painted by Marcello Fogolino, as well as the fascinating collection of artworks realised by the Scuola Pittorica di Fiemme.