Identity: districts, autonomy, Saint Vigilius
A municipality divided into twelve circoscrizioni partly matching the old villages; capital of the autonomous Province of Trento and alternating seat of the regional council. Italian and Trentino dialect are spoken; no linguistic minority lives in the city. Patron saint Vigilius, holiday on 26 June with the Feste Vigiliane.
Sections: Geography · History · Population · Languages · Time zone · Public holidays
Administrative structure
The Comune di Trento is divided into twelve circoscrizioni with elected councils: Gardolo, Meano, Bondone, Sardagna, Ravina-Romagnano, Argentario, Povo, Mattarello, Villazzano, Oltrefersina, San Giuseppe-Santa Chiara and Centro storico-Piedicastello. Many coincide with the villages merged into the city in the twentieth century and keep their own identity, with festivals, fairs and local associations.
Trento is the capital of the autonomous Province of Trento, which under the Special Statute exercises almost all regional powers (schools, health, roads, transport, labour, housing, environmental protection) and retains most of its tax revenue. It is also the capital of the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region, whose council meets alternately in Trento and Bolzano. There is no metropolitan city; the surrounding municipalities are organised in valley communities.
Language and identity
The language is Italian; the Trentino dialect, of Venetian-Lombard type, remains alive in families and villages. Trentino's historic linguistic minorities (Ladins in Val di Fassa, Mòcheni in the Mòcheni valley, Cimbrians in Luserna) are protected by the Statute but do not live in the city; German is studied at school and useful for work with South Tyrol, but not spoken in Trento. Roughly one resident in nine is foreign.
The patron saint is Vigilius, bishop and martyr of the fourth century: 26 June is a holiday in the municipality, the climax of the Feste Vigiliane, with the historical parade, the Tonca (the trial and dunking in the Adige of a figure of the year) and fireworks. The city is known for the Council of Trent (1545–1563) and for the irredentist Cesare Battisti, whose mausoleum dominates the Doss Trento.
- Institutions: Palazzo Thun (city hall), the Provincial Palace on Piazza Dante, Castello del Buonconsiglio, Cathedral of San Vigilio, University, MUSE, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Teatro Sociale.
- Symbols: the eagle of Saint Wenceslas in the coat of arms, the frescoed façades of Via Belenzani, the Neptune Fountain in Piazza Duomo, the cable car to Sardagna.
- Sport: Trentino Volley (Itas Trentino) and Aquila Basket, both in the top leagues; Trento is a city of mountains and cycling.
- The two nearest provincial capitals, Bolzano and Verona, are under an hour away by train.
Data
Sources
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Reviewed: 10/23/2026 · by piero.avolio · rev. 1 · Period: → 2027-10-31
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