Trieste, Italy

The history of Trieste is an intricate patchwork of myth and legend, flights, passion and races, of culture, peoples and painful victories, of elegant worldliness, successes and failures, of surprising contradictions, lives of artists, commercial traffic and pagan rituals. Traces of its earliest past have almost all been lost, but according to scholars, the first inhabitants of this region lived in large caverns in the upland plains at the beginning of the Ice Age.

However, it was only in 2000 BCE that a settlement of sorts began to take shape on the summits of the hills. These were the first villages or castellieri which were surrounded by defensive walls, designed to keep out both invaders and bears which were frequently spotted in the surrounding areas. Inhabited by people of Indo-European (rather than Venetian or Gallo-Celtic) descent, these villages rapidly became commercial trading ports, as they were a natural gateway between east and west and between land and sea.

It was on the site of one of these castellieri, probably the one that dominated the hill where the San Giusto Cathedral stands, that the village of Trieste originated. Its name (derived from the Latin Tergeste) indicates its original purpose: Terg is a Paleo-Venetian word meaning market and este means town. There is no shortage of myths and legends surrounding the place: according to ancient texts, it was here that Jason and the Argonauts were said to have landed on their quest for the mythical Golden Fleece; it was also the place where Antenore and Diomedes were said to have disembarked during the battle for Troy.

Next came the Romans: the area was conquered and in 52 BCE Tergeste became a colony of the Eternal City. Commerce and trading began to increase at an astonishing rate, particularly during the 2nd Century CE. This went hand in hand with rapid architectural development. Many remains from this period are still visible to this day including the Arco di Riccardo, the Teatro Romano, the patrician villas and the Basilica Forense.

The fall of the Roman Empire heralded a period of great uncertainty. After a succession of Barbarian invasions, the region passed through the hands of the Goths, the Longobards, the Byzantines and the French. The situation was barely any better throughout the Middle Ages. Violent battles for control over the Adriatic lead to Trieste pledging allegiance to the Holy Roman Empire, or rather to Leopold I, Duke of Austria (1290-1326).

In 1382, an indissoluble bond was created between Trieste and the Habsburgs. It was a bittersweet bond based on love and hate, respect and submission. It was indeed the Austrians, towards whom many people of Trieste still feel conflicting emotions that ordered the construction of the Castello di San Giusto, between 1470 and 1630. This castle has now become one of the principle symbols of the city.

It was in accordance with the wishes of the Habsburgs (a huge international power) that Trieste was swiftly transformed from a sleepy seaside village to a large European port. With the exception of a few other periods of foreign rule (Venetian, Spanish and finally Napoleonic), Trieste remained subjugated by the Habsburgs until 1918.

Merchants, entrepreneurs and adventurers from all over the world flocked to Trieste and the city was radically restructured in the 18th Century by the energetic Empress Maria Theresa (1717-1780). By the end of the 19th Century the city numbered over 150,000 inhabitants. Large insurance and shipping companies began to appear and shipyards and factories also opened their doors.

Trieste became an important port under Austrian control and numerous economic and cultural initiatives were set up. Thousands of people arrived here from Greece, Turkey and other countries even further afield. This migration gave rise to a multi-ethnic community unparalleled in the rest of Europe. Numerous religions and corresponding places of worship were welcomed to the area; many of these remain standing to this day. Great writers such as Italo Svevo Scipio Slataper, Rainer Maria Rilke and James Joyce lived here. The city's streets are laden with charm, charisma and mystery; it is full of historical places of interest such as the ancient café or bookshop owned by the poet and intellectual Umberto Saba.

In keeping with the Irredentist movements that were taking hold all over Europe, many inhabitants of Trieste began to show their support for Giuseppe Garibaldi's forces and the Risorgimento. With the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the end of World War One, Trieste was annexed to Italy in 1920; however, the upheavals did not end here. The Second World War brought with it new tragedies. Towards the end of the war Josip Tito's Yugoslavian troops arrived and liberated the city; however, those thousands of Italians who spoke out against the Communist regime were incarcerated in large underground rock cavities called foibe. They were eventually released thanks to the intervention of allied troops, and the city, with feelings of both euphoria and disorientation came under American military rule until 1954. It was at this time that Trieste was finally and definitively returned to Italy. It was then that it became the administrative seat of the smallest province in Italy and the Friuli-Venezia-Giulia region.

However, after the Americans left, additional problems followed. Many people found themselves undervalued and the region underwent a progressive de-industrialization. The crisis facing the ports, and the undeniable lack of business authority among the citizens of Trieste was the final straw. The city's economy was transformed into an anomalous phenomenon. Regaining the wealth and prosperity of the past was to be a difficult task. Even today, the percentage of unemployment in Venezia-Giulia is one of the highest in Northern Italy.

It has only really been in the past 20 years that Trieste has been able to carve out a new niche for itself. It has now become the most important center for scientific research in Italy and this is a sector which is providing work for an increasing number of young people. Numerous research facilities can be found in the city including the Area di Ricerca (one of the largest technology parks in Europe), the Sincrotrone Elettra, the International Center of Physical Theory, the Laboratory of Marine Biology, the International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology and many others, as well as the avant-garde university which was built during the 1920s.

A walking tour around Trieste should begin at San Giusto, the largest hill in the city and the site of many buildings that were erected when Trieste was still the ancient Roman city of Tergestum. Standing here on this large square, between the cattedrale, the Castello Medioevale (which has become one of the symbols of Trieste), and the partially reconstructed remains of the Basilica Civile Romana, you will be able to enjoy a spectacular view. Your eyes can take in the gulf, the upland plains and the red roofs of the old houses in the historic city center, leaving you with unforgettable memories of your stay in this easternmost corner of Italy.

Next, visit the church that was born during the union between the two preceding Paleo-Christian basilicas, the castle (an excellent example of a military construction), and then descend towards the sea along the steep, narrow Via della Cattedrale. Here, as you approach the oldest part of the city (which the local council has been in the process of restoring in recent years), you will pass the Museum of Art History, the Orto Lapidario (memorial garden), the Benedictine monastery of San Cipriano, and lower down, the Roman basilica of San Silvestro. You will find yourself walking down silent and narrow streets, inhabited predominantly by elderly people, where there are few shops and even fewer cars.

The Arco di Riccardo is a mere ten minutes walk away from San Giusto. This was erected in 30 BCE and formed an integral part of the city wall during the Augustine period. If it is lunchtime, you will find a small restaurant (between partially ruined old houses) serving up regional cuisine in a relaxed setting where you can dine inexpensively.

If you continue down the Via Felice Venezian you will get to the Trieste seafront and a street full of traffic, which is partially given over to metered parking spaces. In front, you will see the Stazione Maritima, a beautiful building dating back to the 1930's, which now houses the largest congress centre in the province.

Around 50 to 60 meters away to the right, you will see the Piazza dell'Unità d'Italia which is the largest seaside square in Europe. This piazza is well regarded by the people of Trieste for a very good reason: it is an amazing sight. It contains buildings dating back to the 18th and early 19th Centuries which house the town hall, the prefecture, the regional council, the Assicurazioni Generali, the Duchi d'Aosta Hotel (one of the city's most elegant) and the Caffè degli Specchi, a large, historic café which attracts hundreds of people from all over Trieste every Sunday morning. It is, in short the heart of Trieste.

If you continue along the coast in the direction of the train station, you will see evidence of elegant 19th-century Trieste: neo-classical and Art Nouveau buildings including the Teatro Verdi (which is reminiscent of the near-perfect Scala in Milan), the Carciotto Palace (with its beautiful façade divided by six ionic columns) as well as the Canal Grande (built as a trade route) which runs inland from the sea towards the center of Trieste.

From the large jetty on your left, you will be able to take in an unsurpassed night view of the illuminated coast. As the poet Umberto Saba wrote, the beauty of Trieste is in its variety; every corner you turn is like entering a different continent. You will find Italy, Austria, the East, the Levant, with its market traders in red fez and lots more besides.

If you walk off in the opposite direction, you will get to an unusual building resembling a church which locals have even nick-named Santa Maria of the Guato (guato being the name of a small, commonly-found fish in local dialect); in reality, the building has housed an Aquarium since 1913, and the structure which resembles a bell tower is nothing more than a tank inside which is a pump that sends seawater and nutrients down to the tanks where the fish are kept.

Now, leave the coast and head back to the Piazza dell'Unità and then on to the Piazza della Borsa (a pedestrian area containing numerous beautiful buildings) where you will find an old historical café called the Tergesteo which stands beneath the gallery of the same name. Then skirt around the police station until you get to the Teatro Romano. This is a semi-circular construction dating back to the 1st or 2nd Century CE, but which was only discovered in the 1930s during routine renovation work in the area.

From here, you will reach the commercial heart of Trieste with its shopping streets: Via Mazzini, Corso Italia, Via Carducci and Via Battisti. On Via Battisti you will also find the Caffè San Marco, which with its typically Central European atmosphere has always been a favored meeting place for literati and intellectuals, including the writer Claudio Magris). This area is full of the best shops in the city and is always clogged up with traffic.

The historic tram leaves from Piazza Oberdan, at the bottom of Via Carducci. This old-fashioned means of transport will take you from the heart of the city to Opicina, a typical village in the upland plains. Traveling by tram is a splendid experience, and is well worth the excursion.

Remaining close to the police station in the historic city center, you should take the opportunity to visit the charming book and antique shops that form part of Trieste's long history. As you stroll through the streets and past the entrance ways of the dimly-lit Cittavecchia - but also in areas which are less secluded and well-lit, such as the Via Mazzini - you will see rows of shop windows and arcades all displaying a cornucopia of knick-knacks and priceless objects from a bygone era.

At this point, you will have to get in a car (there is no better way of getting to the next destination) and head along the coast. Bear left behind the Piazza dell'Unità and keep going for several kilometers until you get to the stadium and the new Palace of Sports. Then head for Muggia - a pretty little town on the Slovenian border. There is not much to see near the sports ground, but definitely not to be missed is the nearby Risiera di San Sabba - the only Nazi concentration camp to have been built in Italy. Visiting the cells here, walking around the grounds and viewing the exhibited photos of the atrocities which were committed is a highly moving experience and one which will remain with you for a long time.

Muggia itself is a beautiful seaside town. It has its own distinct history, which differs from that of Trieste. This is mainly due to a vow of loyalty made to Venice in the 13th Century. The old town center contains a beautiful harbor set in the midst of old, narrow streets which are full of character. This area has been recently renovated and is dominated by a magnificent fourteenth century castle. A few kilometers away from the town center stands the Romanesque Basilica of Beata Vergine Assunta; from the square in front, you can take in a magnificent panoramic view.

Muggia is also home to an enormous tourist complex — Porto San Rocco —which contains hotels, sports grounds, restaurants, boat moorings and other tourist attractions. It was built on the sight of a shipyard where world-renowned ship builders once plied their trade.

The town is also famous for its Carnevale, which is a tribute to ancient folk traditions and rituals. For decades, hundreds of enthusiastic townspeople have been involved in the construction of large, allegorical floats and in the design and creation of stupendous costumes.

As you return from Muggia, you will pass the old, slightly gloomy but elegant Aquilina and the Via Flavia. Turn right in the direction of Bagnoli and follow the signs for Val Rosandra. You will pass the Rifugio Premuda (eighty meters above sea level) and enter into perhaps the most beautiful corner of the Carso, an extraordinary valley full of paths, at the end of which is one of the few pedestrianized border areas which remain. This area, which is a natural paradise and a haven for climbers, is also home to the remains of an ancient Roman aqueduct.

At this point, you will re-enter Trieste and follow the coastline in the opposite direction. Pass the train station (on your left) and keep going for a few kilometers until you reach the splendid Castello di Miramare. Stop off in one of the two excellent ice cream parlors on the right hand side of the road and enjoy a cone while strolling down the seafront at Barcola. Castello di Miramare is the splendid but ill-fortuned residence of Maximillian of Austria (Emperor of Mexico) who was executed by Mexican Republicans under the direction of Benito Juárez in 1867. Visiting the castle and surrounding parkland is a must for any visitor to the city.

In the summer, you will be able to enjoy the Luci e Suoni, (light and sound) festival which takes place on a stage constructed on the seafront. This is an interesting mix of technology and tradition; for years it has put on successful performances charting the history and of the castle and its successive inhabitants in various languages.

Leave Miramare and head in the direction of Venice following the coastal road (the principle means of entry into the city) which winds past the gulf and the backbone of the Carso and from which you can enjoy an excellent panoramic view (on a clear day, you can even see the Istrian coast). Note that the speed limits here are extremely low, so make sure you stick to them. This is because the road is full of hairpin bends and therefore very dangerous, thus constantly patrolled by the police.

Along the coastal road, you will come across the villages of Duino Aurisina, Sistiana and finally Villaggio del Pescatore (fishermen's village). Duino Aurisina and Sistiana (both popular tourist attractions) are linked by the Sentiero Rilke, a seaside path (named after the German Romantic poet) covered in overhanging rocks which runs for two kilometers. Villaggio del Pescatore on the other hand, is a small modern village home to numerous sports grounds. It is also where crocodile and dinosaur remains were discovered several years ago, giving it several mentions in both the local and national newspapers.

At this point, all that remains is a visit to the Carso. Even if you have already been to Val Rosandra, you should not leave Trieste without visiting the rest of the upland plains. The Carso offers a beautiful, unique landscape, characterized by white, limestone rock. There is no other area quite like it in Europe. The flora here is exceptionally rich, despite the fact that there is very little water here. It is all filtered underground into large deep cavities known as foibe. The territory is sprinkled with low-lying areas, woods, clearings, moors and canyons as well as eroded rock faces.

On a thirty-kilometer strip running along the upland plains, you will find a hundred and twenty restaurants, several farms, eighty guesthouses, and numerous farm shops selling produce and wines. You will also come across the imposing Faro della Vittoria, the Monte Grisa santuario, the extraordinary Grotta Gigante and the Casa Carsica - an ancient rural dwelling which has been transformed into a museum. It is here that the local Slovenian-speaking minority bi-annually organizes Nozze Carse (or a typical Carso wedding) when a young local couple is permitted to marry in accordance with ancient local customs and traditions.

Finally, set a little time aside to visit the Foiba di Basovizza. This is the site where thousands of Italians were incarcerated in the gigantic underground cavities of the Carso during the Second World War. Their crime was having spoken out against Marshall Tito's Communist regime. If the Risiera di San Sabba is the site of criminal atrocities committed by the Nazis, then the site of the foibe of Trieste (from which even today, unidentified human remains are still retrieved) is testimony to the terrifying and cruel atrocities committed by the Slav Communists.