Sud Tyrol Roll Day 5 (13)

Day 5 Bolzano to Trento 

Jeri and I got out this morning early to test her shoulder. We did a short ride in town and it seemed to be okay. She was game to give it a try.  The ride today was the longest, taking us from Bolzano south to Trento.  We were leaving the primarily German speaking region and heading to real Italy.

The ride was the flattest 42 miles we have ever ridden with about 200 feet of elevation gain.  Even so, riding in 90+ degree heat was pretty tiring.  Our hotel in Trento had hot tubs on the balconies.  A little hydrotherapy for Jeri's shoulder was a nice treat.

Before dinner we had a walking tour of Trento. I hadn't realized how much German we had learned until now being in Italian speaking Tyrol. I felt like a fish out of water.

In the Middle Ages and Renaissance, Trento was ruled for centuries by prince-bishops — church leaders who also held political power. Their most visible symbol is Castello del Buonconsiglio, a fortress-palace that developed from the 13th century and served as the seat of Trento’s prince-bishops until the bishopric was suppressed in 1803. 

Trento's biggest claim to world history is the Council of Trent, held in three phases from 1545 to 1563. It was the Catholic Church’s major response to the Protestant Reformation and became a defining event of the Counter-Reformation.

The Piazza Duomo is the heart of the city. It has the Cathedral of San Vigilio, 

the Neptune Fountain, the Palazzo Pretorio, 

and views of frescoed Renaissance façades around the square. 

After our walking tour, we had dinner at a local rib house, though the ribs were definitely not your typical baby backs in the US.

Tomorrow we are off to Lake Garda.