Pieve Tesino is a municipality in the province of Trento, which lies at the foot of Monte Silana, in a fan shaped opening on Tesino basin. The town's name refers to the presence, on-site, of a parish church in the valley.
Hometown of the famous Italian statesman Alcide De Gasperi, it is a popular tourist destination, especially during the Summer. Even though it was one of a warm fronts during the First World War and suffered for this reason, considerable damage, the town still retains its historic core with beautiful medieval buildings and portals, some of which date back even to the XV century.
The plateau of Tesino was inhabited since the Bronze Age, as attested by the finds unearthed in the district of Sant'Ippolito and on the hill of San Sebastian: Later the area was inhabited by the Reti, whose culture was absorbed by the Latin one of the subsequent Roman domain. In 50 A.D. the Romans started the construction of the Via Claudia Augusta Altinate and, along its route, numerous fortifications (castrum) were built. Around these "castra", developed some"vici", the first urban cores of the future community centers in which the original local populations and the Roman soldiers started to coexist. The route was probably used by the first Christian apostles, including Hermes: one of the first evangelists in the lands of Valsugana and Tesino, who lived in the III century A.D. and is historically a martyr executed by order of Emperor Trajan.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, the territories were conquered by the Lombards, who guaranteed a period of peace and prosperity to local populations. Defeated by the troops of Charles the Great, Pieve Tesino, like all the other nearby localities, was assigned to a local lord under the direct rule of the Bishop of Feltre.
Sites of Interest:
- the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, a beautiful XII century Gothic style building, consecrated by the bishop of Feltre, features three naves separated by cylindrical columns and a wonderful marble altar in Baroque style;
- the Church of San Sebastiano, built in the first half of the XV century;
- the Main Square (Piazza Maggiore), onto which overlooks the old Town Hall, casa Pellizzaro-Carestia and Casa Buffa-Corporale. At the center emerges a monumental XVIII century fountain in red stone;
- the home of Alcide De Gasperi, today seat of a museum in honor of the famous Italian statesman.