The Palazzo Pretorio, on the east side of the Piazza Duomo, was the original 13th-century residence of the prince-bishops of Trento before they moved across town to the Castello del Buonconsiglio. The building is a long, austere block in pale Verona stone, anchored by the Torre Civica — the medieval clock tower that gives the square its vertical accent.
Today the palazzo houses the Museo Diocesano Tridentino, with the cathedral treasury, a series of important Flemish tapestries commissioned for the Council of Trent, and a small but high-quality picture gallery. The crypt of the cathedral can be reached from inside; the climb to the top of the Torre Civica (about 100 steps) is the best aerial view of the old town.