Attraction · Trento · Updated on 1 November 2026.

Cattedrale di San Vigilio in Trento

Cattedrale di San Vigilio is an attraction in Trento, Trentino – Alto Adige/Südtirol. This place has a story in the app. 50 of the 50 well-known points of interest nearby are within 1 km. Within 680 m you'll find a bench, a water point, a public toilet and a bike pump.

Directions in Google Maps

Cattedrale di San Vigilio in Trento, photo 2

Cattedrale di San Vigilio in Trento, photo 3

The story

Wikipedia ↗

Story · Cattedrale di San Vigilio

You're standing by Trento Cathedral, the Duomo of San Vigilio. From Piazza Duomo you're looking at its left flank. That's the showpiece side, facing the oldest and grandest part of the city. First, find the big round window in the transept. It's the Wheel of Fortune. Twelve little figures ride around its rim: some climbing, some tumbling, and one at the top sitting crowned on a throne. A medieval reminder that luck never lasts.

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Opening hours and admission

Wheelchair: Accessible

Source: OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.

Photos

10 photos from Wikimedia Commons. In the app you add your own photo when you are there.

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Photo: Syrio · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

Cattedrale di San Vigilio in Trento: the city's cathedral

The Cattedrale di San Vigilio in Trento, also known as the Duomo di Trento, is a church and the city's cathedral. Sessions of the Concilie van Trente, a major church assembly, were held here. There, the Kerk gave its answer to the Reformatie. In 1508, keizer Maximiliaan I was crowned here. You will find the cathedral on the Piazza Duomo, in the old part of Trente in Trentino-Zuid-Tirol. Nearby are the Palazzo Pretorio, 48 metres away, and the Museo Diocesano Tridentino and the Palazzo Calepini, both 69 metres away.

What you can see outside and inside the cathedral

The cathedral's left flank faces you as you stand on the square. Look first for the large round window in the transept, the Rad van Fortuin. Around its edge, 12 small figures turn: some rise, others fall, and at the top one sits crowned on a throne. It is a medieval warning that good fortune is never lasting. Near the base of the wall, old length measures have been scratched into the stone. Merchants checked here that they were not being cheated. A little further along you will find a doorway with a portal supported by columns that rest on stone lions. The building mixes romaans and gotiek. Only one tower was completed, the northern one. Inside, you can visit the remains of the vroegchristelijke basiliek beneath the floor. In the northern transept hang colourful frescoes about the life of Sint-Julianus, with castles and small towns in the background. The barokke hoofdaltaar has twisted columns, based on the canopy in Sint-Pieter in Rome. In the Kapel van het Kruisbeeld stands a wooden crucifixion group.

The history of the Cattedrale di San Vigilio

The history of this place goes back a long way. Bishop Vigilius had a church built here to house the remains of 3 martyrs, and he was buried here himself. In 1212, Federico Vanga began a complete new build in the style of the era. The architect is named as Adamo d'Arogno. The building work took a very long time. There were plans for 2 towers, but only the northern one was completed. Between 1545 and 1563, the church hosted gatherings that shaped the history of the city, so it remained for centuries a place where important events took place.

Toilets, drinking water and benches nearby

There are plenty of benches near the Cattedrale di San Vigilio in Trento. The nearest one is 63 metres away, by Piazza del Duomo, and there are 235 benches within 500 metres. Drinking water is 142 metres away, at Piazza Santa Teresa Verzeri, and there are 18 water points within 500 metres, so you can easily refill your bottle. A public toilet is a little further away. The nearest one is 323 metres off, on Via Roma, and there are 6 public toilets within 500 metres. There is no bike pump within 500 metres. The nearest one is 682 metres away, at Lungadige San Nicolò, and it is free to use.

Walking and more to see nearby

Many sights are close together around the cathedral, so you can easily walk from one to the next. The Palazzo Pretorio is a castle. The Museo Diocesano Tridentino is a museum, and the Palazzo Calepini is an attraction. The Torre Civica is 75 metres from the cathedral, and the Palazzo Balduini is 77 metres away. These are attractions too. If you walk a little further, you reach the Castello del Buonconsiglio after 637 metres. This makes it easy to take a short walk through the old part of Trento, seeing something new along the way.

Facilities near Cattedrale di San Vigilio

The nearest pitstop of each kind within 1 km, as the crow flies. No honesty box within 1 km.

Well-known points of interest nearby

50 well-known points of interest nearby, those with an audio tour first. 50 of the 50 well-known points of interest nearby are within 1 km.

AttractionStory

Castello del Buonconsiglio · 640 m

Photo: Jakub Hałun · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

All 747 points of interest in Trentino – Alto Adige/Südtirol →

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Frequently asked questions

Where can I find drinking water at the Cattedrale di San Vigilio?

The nearest drinking water point is 142 metres away, at Piazza Santa Teresa Verzeri. Within 500 metres there are 18 water points.

Are there benches near the Cattedrale di San Vigilio?

Yes, the nearest bench is 63 metres away, at Piazza del Duomo. Within 500 metres there are 235 benches.

Where is a toilet near the Cattedrale di San Vigilio?

The nearest public toilet is 323 metres away, on Via Roma. Within 500 metres there are 6 public toilets.

When was the Cattedrale di San Vigilio in Trento built?

The present cathedral was begun in 1212 by prince-bishop Federico Vanga, and construction took more than a century. Earlier, Vigilius had already built a church on this site for the remains of 3 martyrs.

What is the Wheel of Fortune at the Cattedrale di San Vigilio?

The Wheel of Fortune is the large round window in the transept, with 12 figures around its rim. Some are rising, others are falling, and at the top sits a figure wearing a crown on a throne, a medieval warning that fortune is never lasting.

What can you see inside the Cattedrale di San Vigilio in Trento?

Beneath the floor lie the visitable remains of the early basilica. In the northern transept you can also see frescoes of the life of Sint-Julianus, and there is a high altar with twisted columns.