Ranking somewhere to live as being the best (or worst) in the country is tricky. What may work for one person may not necessarily work for another, particularly in a country as regionally diverse  as Italy. 

Which is perhaps why it seems unusual that Trento, the capital of Italy’s autonomous Trentino–Alto Adige region, is repeatedly rated as the best in Italy for quality of life by various surveys.

The Alpine gem topped tables in 2019 and 2022 in a survey by ItaliaOggi and La Sapienza University, was voted as the greenest city last year by environmental watchdog Legambiente and has remained in the top 5 in Il Sole’s Lab 24 every year since 2012. 

READ MORE: Why are Trento and Bolzano rated the best places to live in Italy?

In Il Sole’s league table, Trento came in first place out of 107 Italian provinces for sports activities, air cleanliness and waste disposal, and quality of life for elderly people. Trento bypassed respective second-place category holders Trieste, Mantova, and Bolzano by at least four points in all three categories.

But does this really make it the ‘best’ place to live in the country?

For language teacher David Garyan, Trento was a case of love at first sight.

“I was immediately attracted to the landscape, the mountains,and  the rivers. It was the atmosphere and surroundings of Trento that really fascinated me,” he tells The Local.

After getting his master’s degree from the University of Bologna, David left his job in Ravenna and decided to move to Trento the same month.

“I’ve been here ever since and I don’t regret that decision.”

David arrived with his brother, who was studying at The University of Trento, from the USA in 2019. He split his time between Emilia-Romagna and Trentino while he was studying.

Some of his favourite spots in the area include Besenello Castle and Lake Molveno.

When asked if he agrees that Trento really offers the best quality of life, he replies: “The answer is a resounding yes.

“Though people’s priorities are different and young college students looking for nightlife might not find exactly what they were hoping for, Trento is, on the whole, the region with the best quality of life.”

READ MORE: Why Trento is ranked as Italy’s ‘greenest’ place to live

For Sumarth Kathanraj, a software engineer from Bangalore in India, his time in Trento was a invaluable step in his career.

“I was afforded the opportunity to transfer to IT company in Trento from India and worked my way up,” Sumarth says. “It’s known as Italy’s Silicon Valley, after all.”

Sumarth came to Trento in 2015 and left in 2022 after landing another job in Portugal, starting a family during his seven-year stint in the city.

“Trento is a blessed place to live in Italy, offering a high quality of life, beautiful surroundings, and a rich cultural experience,” Sumarth says. “The best thing about living in Trento is the quality of life and the slower pace of living.” 

Sumarth lists proximity to nature, cultural activities and a pleasant atmosphere as some of the reasons why he stayed so long. 

“Walking down to the city centre has a great vibe. It is not overly crowded like big or middle-sized cities, providing a more relaxed and enjoyable experience,” he continues.

He noted that there were some challenges however, including “the limited options for IT professionals like myself, which ultimately led to my decision to move,”

“Additionally, the language barrier can make it difficult to make friends and be more socially active, but it’s a hurdle that can be overcome with effort.”

It’s not only internationals who share this view. Pierluigi Sartori, a digital risk manager and Trentino native, has travelled and lived extensively throughout Italy.  He credits his mother’s Pugliese upbringing with having a mindset that’s not very ‘Trentino’, though he’s remained in Trento as his children live there. 

READ ALSO: ‘If you want quality of life, choose Italy’s sunny south over the efficient north’

As much as he loves the region, he finds the job opportunities and social scene lacking; he commutes daily to Milan for work as the salary in his field is significantly higher there.

“In Italy, every city has its own characteristics, both social and cultural. Some are more lively, others less so. Trento falls into the latter category. It’s a very closed city both culturally and socially,” he says.

He says this is due to Trento being somewhat isolated geographically from other cities and says in Verona and Padua the social scenario is completely different. 

“I’ve lived in various Italian cities: Rome, Caserta, near Gallipoli, Milan, Treviso. In these cities, people are more sociable. For them, organising events that allow socialising is normal. Even just a simple dinner at their home.

“But Trento is different. People are more close-minded and snobbish.”

He argues nowhere should be labelled as the ‘best’ place to live, and that Trento certainly is not the best place for teenagers

However, he does recognise the beauty of Trento and its surroundings  and agrees that its cleanliness is a huge bonus.

“I don’t think that Trento is the best place to live in Italy but not the worst either. It’s the classic small provincial town that doesn’t offer many opportunities.”

It just goes to show that rankings of places to live are extremely subjective.