The synthesis, crystal structure, and magnetic properties of two trinuclear oxo-centered carboxylate complexes are reported and discussed: [Cr-3(mu(3)-O)(mu(2)-PhCOO)(6)(H2O)3]NO3 center dot 4H(2)O center dot 2CH(3)OH (1) and [Cr-3(mu(3)-O)(mu(2)-PhCOO)(2)(mu(2)-OCH2CH3)(2)(bpy)(2)(NCS)(3)] (2). For both complexes the crystal system is monoclinic, with space group C2/c for 1 and P-1/n for 2. The structure of complex 1 consists of discrete trinuclear cations, associated NO3- anions, and lattice methanol and water molecules. The structure of complex 2 is built only by neutral discrete trinuclear entities. The most important feature of 2 is the unusual skeleton of the [Cr3O] core due to the lack of peripheral bridging ligands along one side of the triangular core, which is unique among the structurally characterized (mu(3)-oxo)trichromium(III) complexes. Magnetic measurements were performed in the 2-300 K temperature range. For complex 1, in the high-temperature region (T > 8 K), experimental data could be satisfactorily reproduced by using an isotropic exchange model, H = -2J(12)S(1)S(2) - 2J(13)S(1)S(3) - 2J(23)S(2)S(3) (J(12) = J(13) = J(23)) with J(ij) = -10.1 cm(-1), g = 1.97, and TIP = 550 x 10(-6) emu mol(-1). The antisymmetric exchange interaction plays an important role in the magnetic behavior of the system, so in order to fit the experimental magnetic data at low temperature, a new magnetic model was used where this kind of interaction was also considered. The resulting fitting parameters are the following: G(zz) = 0.25 cm(-1), (delta = 2.5 cm(-1), and TIP = 550 x 10(-6) emu mol(-1). For complex 2, the experimental data could be satisfactorily reproduced by using an isotropic exchange model, H = -2J(1)(S1S2 + S1S3) - 2J(2)(S2S3) with J(1) = -7.44 cm(-1), J(2) = -51.98 cm(-1), and g = 1.99. The magnetization data allows us to deduce the ground term of S = 1/2, characteristic of equilateral triangular chromium(III) for complex 1 and S = 3/2 for complex 2, which is confirmed by EPR measurements.