Little Vienna on the sea
Walking through the center, you will sometimes have the feeling of being in Vienna, Prague or Budapest. Some palace facades erected in the 19th century when Trieste was under the protection of the Habsburg eagle remind the visitor that the city was not always Italian. In the 14th century, Trieste, coveted and encircled by the territories of its long-time enemy, Venice and its Republic, voluntarily joined the very powerful Habsburg Empire, which saw its access to the sea as a boon. Proclaimed a free port by Charles VI in 1719, exempted from taxes, its spectacular economic boom attracted Greek and Serbian merchants in large numbers. Bordered by wide straight avenues, Trieste displays on the posh facades of its buildings the pride of having been one of the most influential ports in Europe with a superposition of baroque, empire, neoclassical and art nouveau styles. The Habsburg atmosphere of the buildings and the bohemian spirit of this city with its Mitteleuropa flavour can be felt in its subtle mix of styles
Piazza Unità d'Italia
Opening onto the sea, the largest square in Europe (10,000m2) is also one of the most beautiful. The Piazza Unità d'Italia celebrates the reunification of Trieste with Italy in 1918 after more than 5 centuries of Austro-Hungarian protectorate. It is extended by a superb pier: the Molo Audace. The central square presents a beautiful unity with elegant buildings of baroque and Austro-Hungarian architecture of neo-classical inspiration with some touches of Art Nouveau that give an idea of its former power. Among the buildings surrounding the square, admire the Government Palace designed by Viennese architect Emil Artman and built between 1901 and 1905. Its fascinating facade glittering with Murano glass mosaics features motifs, allegorical portraits and the Savoy cross. Facing the sea stands the majestic building of the Palazzo del Municipio, the City Hall and its bell tower designed by the architect Giuseppe Bruni. Observe the structured facade with its tight rows of windows, topped by a tower with a clock where Jakeze and Mikeze, two bronze figures beat the hours since 1876. On September 18, 1938, from the central balcony of the City Hall, the Italian President of the Council, Benito Mussolini, announced to a huge crowd gathered in Piazza Unità d'Italia the introduction of the Fascist racial laws in Italy. In front of the City Hall stands the Fountain of the Four Continents. Created by the architect Mazzoleni, this baroque fountain was completed in 1754 and represents the world as it was known at the time. Four statues represent the inhabitants of the four continents (Europe, Asia, Africa and America). In Piazza Unità d'Italia you will also see the classicist Stratti Palace. It houses the Caffè degli Specchi, the bourgeois headquarters of the British Navy during the Second World War. A symbol of Trieste's domination over the sea, the facades of the Lloyd Triestino Palazzo, designed in the Italian Renaissance style, are worth seeing. Finally, the Palace of the Austrian Lieutenancy, one of the most important under the rule of the Habsburgs stands out with its monumental entrance and its mosaics representing the coat of arms of the House of Savoy
Teresiano neighborhood
The city center called Borgo Teresiano is one of the oldest districts. Commissioned by Maria Theresa, the first empress of Austria in the mid-18th century, it is built in a checkerboard pattern on the model of a central European city. With its strict angles and rectilinear layout, the Borgo Teresiano is one of the first examples of modern urban planning of the late 18th century. This neoclassical neighborhood was built on abandoned salt works to meet the growing demand of the bourgeoisie living in the city. The calibrated buildings adorned with marble balconies bear witness to the city's rich past. Designed by fashionable architects and artists such as Matteo Pertsch, Pietro Nobile and Cesare dell'Acqua, the imposing buildings are characterized by a high first floor, a large central door allowing access to vehicles and private residences on the upper floors. The stock exchange, the opera house, the town hall square, the train station, the red brick Art Deco building of the Generali Reali Estate are representative examples of this cosmopolitan architecture with Italian characteristics and influenced by 19th century Viennese architecture. The focal point of the district is the Canal Grande, dug between 1754 and 1756, a modern port that allows ships to reach the city center and unload their goods. The sea penetrates the land to the neoclassical church of Sant'Antonio Taumaturgo. The spectacular stone structure and the unique shape of the quays and the Canal Grande are a tribute to the maritime trade of Trieste, which then reigned unchallenged on this sea
Many places of worship
Thanks to the tolerant policy of Maria Theresa, who decreed freedom of worship, the Catholic, Orthodox (Greek and Serbian) and Jewish communities live together peacefully. In the city center, a Catholic church, a synagogue, a Serbian Orthodox church and a Greek Orthodox church erected almost face to face embody the perfect example of the "living together" that characterizes Trieste. In 1784, the Greeks built an imposing Orthodox church, San Nicolò dei Greci, whose façade was redesigned in 1820 by the architect Matteo Pertsch in a neoclassical style. Inside, its richly gilded iconostasis impresses. Near the Grand Canal, observe the superb Church of the Holy Trinity and St. Spiridion built in 1869 for the Serbian Orthodox community by Carlo Maciachini, a defender of "historical styles". The building inspired by Byzantine architecture is topped by a large blue central dome. The facade with its mosaics recalls the Italian Romanesque style
The main symbol of Christian religiosity in Trieste, the spectacular 14th century Cattedrale di San Giusto is built on the ruins of an ancient temple on the hill of San Giusto, which was once the heart of the medieval quarter. Its façade, dominated by a rose window, is decorated with frescoes, mosaics and sculptures. The synagogue, sober and elegant, in concrete was built in 1912 by the architects Ruggero and Arduino Berlam. It is one of the most imposing buildings of Judaism in Europe, whose decoration is influenced by certain Christian buildings of the East.
Historical cafés
From its Viennese past, Trieste, the first Mediterranean port for the importation of coffee, has kept superb literary cafés with high ceilings. These 19th century cafés are true institutions for the people of Trieste and have stood the test of time. Most of them are near via Roma, the Canal Grande and the docks. Have a "nero" at the sumptuous carved wooden bar of theAntico Caffè San Marco, an institution with a Viennese décor in the purest Secession style. Admire the Liberty style and the original furniture of the Antico Caffè Torinese and enjoy a Viennese coffee in the oldest café in the city, the Caffè Tommaseo, opened in 1825 and beautifully decorated by the painter Gatteri
Trieste presents to its visitors all its memories
After the Austrian defeat in World War I, the "irredentist" patriots annexed Trieste by force to Italy. To erase the cosmopolitan identity of the port and erase its Austrian past, the fascist regime used architecture as a propaganda tool. The goal was to "Italianize" Trieste's public space and minds. The police headquarters, the port and political infrastructures were built according to the fascist model: they were very large buildings in concrete and white marble with a grand architecture with arcades and powerful columns, like the University. These buildings from the 1920s and 1930s stand side by side with those from the 18th and 19th centuries in an architectural eclecticism that today makes Trieste special. The Risiera di San Sabba also bears witness to the painful memory of fascism. Built in 1898 for stacking rice, the building was used by the Nazis to eliminate Jews and political opponents from Italy, Slovenia and Croatia. In 1966, the architect Romano Boico was chosen by the municipality to transform the Risiera into a place of memory. He added concrete structures to the original site. The museum has 17 holding cells and a library
The surroundings of Trieste are worth a look
Eight kilometers from the city, overlooking the Adriatic, beautifully surrounded by a large park with flattering vegetation, the white castle of Miramare seems to come out of a fairy tale. Built by architect Carl Junker between 1856 and 1860 in an eclectic style, it combines elements of Baroque, Romanesque and Renaissance. With its 20 rooms designed in the style of romantic historicism, the Castello di Miramare was the vacation home of Archduke Maximilian of Habsburg-Lorraine and his wife, Princess Charlotte of Belgium. Between 1869 and 1896, his niece Empress Elisabeth, better known as Sissi, stayed here 14 times
About ten kilometers from Trieste, stands the castello di Duino. Superbly restored and overlooking the Gulf of Trieste, it was built in the 14th century on the ruins of a Roman outpost. Between 1911 and 1912, the Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke stayed here and began writing the Duino Elegies
Palmanova, 47 km from Trieste, is a masterpiece of military architecture. This fortified city in the shape of a nine-pointed star, designed by Vincenzo Scamozzi, was built in 1593 by the Republic of Venice, which used the latest military innovations to protect itself from its rivals, the Austrian Habsburgs and the Turks. Its vast parade ground is spectacular, with three defensive circles. Very well preserved, Palmanova is classified by Unesco since 2017.
