Trento, in northern Italy, is situated right in the Adige River valley, within an area that borders Austria and Switzerland. The city, because of its location, comes with rich historical stories. In fact, the place part of Austria before the First World War.

Close to the city is the picturesque Dolomite Mountain. While Trento is not at the top of the bucket list of many tourists, unlike Milan and Venice, it has still become a popular vacation getaway, especially for locals.
GMI POST spoke with Mayor Franco Ianeselli as he provided a glimpse of the city’s history.
“Trento is a small city in the middle of the Alps. A borderland between the Italian and German worlds. Trento is the capital of a province and region that has special autonomy. This autonomy, which is the result of a very long historical, political and legal journey, has allowed for very important transformations. Seventy years ago, Trento was a poor and backward area, but today it is one of the most advanced provinces in Italy, home to one of the country's leading universities and research centers,” Ianeselli said.
When asked what Trento was most famous for, the mayor proudly mentions their sparkling wine, which he says is the best of its kind.
“This sparkling wine is used in the official toast in the Formula One races. You may see Trento DOC when you follow the race. You have champagne in France, but in Italy, we have Trento DOC,” he said.
But that’s not all there is to Trento. There are other growing industries there as well.
“We have a strong ICT sector with the most known companies such as GPI, Data Group, and Phoenix. The region is also very much known for tourism. Other sectors on the rise are the ones in the green economy. We are known for our timber building too,” Ianeselli said.
Trento takes pride in the success, which was achieved through the collective effort of the local population. In recognition of this civic involvement in the city’s growth, Trento was recently named the European Volunteer Capital for 2024. For the mayor, that is the very heart and soul of the city
“This award makes us very proud, but it also makes us feel very responsible, because volunteering is one of the pillars of our community and we want to use this opportunity to update and strengthen it even more,” he said.