Piazza Dante

Piazza Dante is a public square near the train station in Trento featuring a central monument to poet Dante Alighieri surrounded by conifer trees. A lake around the monument hosts swans year-round.

The square emerged between 1854 and 1858 following modifications to the Adige river course, which allowed construction of the railway station and network in Trento. A monument to the poet was installed in 1896 as a symbolic marker of Italian presence during foreign rule.

The square is named after Dante Alighieri, reflecting Italian identity during Austro-Hungarian rule over the city. This name replaced the earlier Station Square designation and shows how literary figures became important to local self-determination.

The square is directly adjacent to the train station and easily reached on foot, with clear paths connecting to regional government buildings, the Grand Hotel Trento, and San Lorenzo Church. Visitors should note the multiple access points linking the square to surrounding structures.

An Art Nouveau building from the early 1900s near the square once served as both a public bath and restaurant, showing architectural innovations of that period. This dual-purpose structure is now a reminder of how public spaces were designed differently in the past.