Lavis is an important agricultural and commercial center of the province of Trento, initially developed around the stream Avisio and, later, in the sixties of the XX century, in the plain west of the main road to the Brenner.
The discovery of coins of Roman and barbarian necropolis attest that the area was inhabited since ancient times. A controlled passage of people and goods, due to the precarious conditions in which the valley lived during the XIII century. Lavis also became famous due to its location on the border between the County of Tyrol and the territories that belonged to the Prince Bishop of Trent, that is often regarded as the boundary between the Latin and German life styles. The town became, over the centuries, one of the most important river ports in the area, specializing mainly in the timber trade, favoring thus the emergence of related activities, such as mills, sawmills and tanneries, as well as a thriving duty.
The old core of the town, which started at the foot of the hill of Paion and characterized by narrow streets called "pristoi", over the centuries, has been enlarged, reaching, in the second half of the XX century, the border with the nearby city of Trento, becoming a large municipality attached to its suburbs.
Sites of Interest:
- the XV century Church of Sant'Udalrico, built on an existing structure of the XIII century, features an impressive Baroque style, rich in stuccos and paintings depicting scenes from the life of German bishop, to whom the building is entitled;
- the Ciucioi, a hanging garden in romantic style, built in 1860 on the rock face of Dos Paion;
- the Baroque Church of St. John of Nepomuceno;
- Casa Schuldhaus with its magnificent ashlar portal.