Trento, the capital of the region to which it gave its name, is also the most attractive town in Trentino: it has a fine Romanesque cathedral and a richly decorated castle, and streets lined with handsome Renaissance mansions.
Trento is noted as the venue for the Council of Trent (1545-63), set up by the Catholic Church to consider reforms that might encourage breakaway groups, in particular the German Protestants, to return to the fold.
The reforms, which ushered in the period of the Counter-Reformation, were only partly successful.
The Duomo, site of some of the Council meetings, was built in robust Romanesque style from the 13th century.
It was three centuries before it was completed, in 1515, but the builders maintained architectural harmony by ignoring Gothic and Renaissance styles entirely.
The result is a church of unusual integrity, noble and assured. The Duomo stands on Piazza Duomo, the city's main square, which was first laid out by the Romans as their central market place or forum.