Calliano is an ancient and illustrious village built where the Rio Cavallo flows into the river Adige. It is located halfway between Trento and Rovereto on the intersection between the Brenner road and the one that leads to the Cimbri Folgaria, Lavarone and Luserna plateaus. It also lies between two beautiful castles in a splendid setting surrounded by vineyards and mountains that offer us a breathtaking view.
Due to its strategic position, Calliano was the scene of fierce battles, which explains the considerable concentration of castles and protective walls (commonly called “murazzi”). The most famous battle was that of Calliano , which was fought on 10 August 1487 when the Tyrolean army defeated the Venetian army commanded by Roberto da Sanseverino who perished during the battle. Again in 1796 these places witnessed the Napoleonic invasion, they underwent its occupation and retreat; from 1801 to 1918 Calliano remained under Austrian rule.
To the east, on the top of a hill, Castel Beseno overlooks the plain below, while, on the southern border, Castel Pietra still seems to protect it from invaders who for a long time tried to take over this valley. Walking in the heart of the village is enjoyable thanks to the presence of some splendid noble palaces with frescoed facades. Remarkable are also the Church of San Lorenzo, the Church of Saints Sebastian and Fabiano, as well as the suggestive main square. Another site worth seeing is the Zambel waterfall on the Rio Cavallo which was also the image of an advertising campaign in Trentino in the national media.
The population of the Municipality is currently 2050 inhabitants, with a significant increase in inhabitants that have doubled in the last 20 years with a new settlement mainly of young families who have made Calliano the youngest village in Trentino with an average age of 40.3 years. . Calliano is also the village (ISTAT data of 2021) that has had the highest percentage of increase of Italian residents in the last 10 years at national level .
