Palazzo de’ Pizzini

In the old town of Ala, the palazzi de’ Pizzini are two imposing constructions that recall the arts of velvet and silk.

Originally from Castellano, the Pizzinis arrived in Ala in the late sixteenth century. Thanks to the flourishing textile industry the family enjoyed a long period of splendor which is the origin of these two palazzi.

The older of the two, palazzo de’ Pizzini – di Lenna, dates back to the late seventeenth century and is today home to the Museo del Pianoforte Antico (Antique Piano Museum) and the Accademia Internazionale di interpretazione musicale su strumenti d’epoca (Academy of Musical Interpretation on Period Instruments).

The palazzo retains its charming layout unchanged, which since the mid seventeenth century has aroused the admiration of artists, nobles, princes and sovereigns. Among the noteworthy people who have stayed here are Charles III of Spain (1708), Charles VI (1714) and Napoleon Bonaparte, who spent the night in the palazzo during the first French invasion of Trentino (1796).

The second palazzo de’ Pizzini, once joined to the first by a passageway, is one of the most prominent examples of baroque architecture in Vallagarina. Francis I and Maria Theresa of Austria stayed here as well as numerous other emperors and princes, intellectuals and artists suchas Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who stayed most often in Trentino during his numerous trips and stays in Italy.