Autonomous administrative, cultural and historical center of Val di Fiemme, Cavalese is a charming tourist resort in the province of Trento, located on the terminal and the large sunny plain, which characterizes the entire valley. The area of Cavalese was inhabited since ancient times: it is, in fact, documented the presence of prehistoric settlements along the chain of Lagorai (Mesolithic), the Dos Zeal (Iron Age) and the Parco della Pieve (age Late Roman). The first settlements rose along the Rio Gambis but, because of the continuous and disastrous flooding of the latter, the population of the then center of Cadrubio was forced, in the XII century, to move further inland. During the XVI century, things changed with the work of containment of Rio, with the creation of picturesque banks, mills and sawmills. In the XVIII century, thanks to the contribution of the noble and powerful families who established their residences here, Cavalese became one of the most important cultural and economic center of the entire Val di Fiemme. The town was seat of the painting school of Giuseppe Alberti, in which also Michelangelo and Francesco Unterberger started their apprenticeships with other famous artists known as cavalesani. It was also the seat of the Magnificent Community of Fiemme, officially established with the Gebardini Agreement of 1111-1112.
Because of its wide and varied tourist offer, Cavalese can be visited and appreciated at all times of the year. During the Spring and Summer months it is possible, in fact, to engage in long walks outdoors on foot, horseback or mountain bike, reaching mountain shelters enjoying the culinary recipes of the Val di Fiemme traditions, while in Winter, snow lovers can enjoy the alpine ski slopes and cross-country skiing or be captivated by the beauty of the landscapes bleached white, with snow shoes.
Sites of Interest:
- the Palace of the Magnificent Community of Fiemme, of medieval origin, built by the Bishops of Trento as the residence of their vicars in Val di Fiemme. Surrounded by a crenellated wall, on the main façade are still visible the frescoes that once decorated all the tables of the building;
- the Table of the Resòn, unique in its kind in Italy, where the assemblies met the Magnificent Community to discuss and solve the most important issues;
- the Pieve di Fiemme, entitled to the Assumption, is known since the 1134, thanks to a Latin inscription on the right side of the building. To constant alterations and additions in later centuries, are well visible the various stages and architectural styles, from Romanesque to Gothic, from the Renaissance to the Baroque. Inside there are important Romanesque and Gothic frescoes and works of the school of painting Fiemme;
- the Church of the Seven Sorrows of Mary, consecrated in 1830 and built in neoclassical style thanks to the legacy of the priest-painter Antonio Longo Varena;
- the Church of San Sebastiano, built in the XV century during an epidemic of plague and rebuilt in the nineteenth century;
- the Convent of the Franciscan Fathers with adjoining Church of St. Vigil, both made in the second half of the XVII century, retain several masterpieces of pictorial art of the Fiemme school, as well as wooden statues and wooden altars decorated;
- the Chapel of the Hospital;
- the Church of Masi di Cavalese;
- the Chapel of the Palace of Congresses;
- Mills, sawmills and washbasins, along the Rio Gambis.
- the cable car Cermis.