Castione
Welcome to Castione
Hello everyone! Today I will talk about Castione, a picturesque hamlet of the municipality of Brentonico in the autonomous province of Trento, located on the north-eastern slopes of Mount Altissimo di Nago. Castione has an altitude of 528 meters above sea level and around 480 inhabitants. It is a village characterized by the production of Chestnuts and the marble extraction industry.
The physical geography of Castione
Castione is a small village located on the Monte Baldo mountain range at an altitude of 528 meters above sea level. It is located on the north-eastern slopes of Mount Altissimo di Nago and is in the autonomous province of Trento. Throughout the centuries, Castione has become known for the production of chestnuts and marble. The quarries of Castione near Mount Giovo were active until the 1980s and produced marble known as Giallo di Mori, and polishable limestones such as oolitic limestone or red ammonitic limestone.
The history of Castione
Castione has a long history that dates back to the 13th century, when a village developed on the remains of an old castle. Its geographical location was strategically important for the production of marble and for commercial relations between Trentino and Veneto. Of the two famous families of sculptors of Trentino Baroque art, the Benedetti (sculptors) and the Sartori, who created many altars in churches throughout Trentino and neighboring areas between the 17th and 18th centuries. Their work includes, for example, the main altar of the Cathedral of Innsbruck in Austria. In the 20th century, the marble extraction industry progressively declined, causing a demographic decline.
The monuments and places of interest in Castione
The Church of San Clemente, one of the oldest churches in Brentonico, is located in Castione. Dating back to the 16th century, the church houses works by Cristoforo Benedetti and Antonio Giuseppe Sartori and Domenico Sartori (sculptor). The Chapel of San Rocco dates back to the 17th century and features a Castionese altar.
Conclusions
In this short historical excursion, I have accompanied you in the discovery of Castione, a picturesque and suggestive village located in the heart of the Trentine mountains. From its glorious past as a point of marble production and its traditions that still characterize its economy and society today, Castione is a cultural experience that deserves to be lived.
