Living and working in Rovereto

Rovereto: a smaller city, not half a city

Rovereto is the second-largest city in Trentino, with around 40,000 residents. If Trento seems like the obvious choice but you are looking for somewhere on a smaller scale, here you will find the same kind of urban life in a more compact setting: services, schools, restaurants, culture and work. Like Trento, Rovereto sits on the valley floor, has local buses and a railway station, and it is possible to organise everyday life without a car. Here too, in 2023, more than one in ten residents had foreign citizenship.

Between Trento, Verona and Lake Garda. Rovereto lies in a broad, open stretch of the Adige Valley, in Vallagarina, surrounded by sunny hillsides and vineyards. It sits on the Brenner railway line, along the route connecting Trento and Verona, and Verona can be reached directly by train. Lake Garda is also close by, via Mori. For anyone with ties to Veneto, or who wants to keep them within easy reach, that is a practical advantage.

Culture in Rovereto: the Mart and more

The historic centre tells a different story from Trento, with traces of Venetian influence alongside eighteenth-century buildings. Today, the city’s cultural identity has a particularly recognisable name: the Mart, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto. It is joined by Casa d’Arte Futurista Depero, the War Museum and the Museum of Science and Archaeology.

The university also has a presence here: Rovereto is home to the Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science at the University of Trento.

Industry and innovation: from silk to Progetto Manifattura

First came silk, then the Tobacco Factory, founded in Borgo Sacco in 1854 and active until 2008. That former factory is now Progetto Manifattura, a hub dedicated to the circular economy, smart building, sustainable mobility, clean energy, biotechnology and sports technologies. Restored historic buildings now stand alongside new spaces for production and research.

A few minutes away is Polo Meccatronica, where companies, research organisations, the university and education providers work together on advanced manufacturing. It is also home to ProM Facility, the prototyping centre operating since 2017, created through collaboration between Trentino Sviluppo, the Autonomous Province of Trento, FBK and the University of Trento, in partnership with Confindustria Trento.

The products change, but the tradition of making things remains: first silk, then tobacco, today prototypes and technologies for industry.City life, nature and culture: what makes this area different?