Jutting out above the rive (waterfront) from the molo (pier) 23 is Trieste’s unofficial mascot, URSUS. A piece of industrial archeology dating back to 1913, it is one of the largest and oldest floating steel cranes in the world. Outfitted with an electrical system, motors and 2 rudders, the crane is equipped with an arm able…
With All Saints Day coming upon us, I could have easily recycled one of the articles on the famous Fave Triestine, the tri-colored “Day of the Dead” cookies that are ubiquitous in shop windows this time of year, but instead I want to tell you about where you can actually visit the dead here in…
Here we are coming up on Halloween and all I can think of is Venzone. Host to the annual Festa della Zucca, the Pumpkin Festival, for the last 27 years, I have been jonesing to go and see for myself both the town and the festivities. Like a child hopped up on halloween candy, I have…
Walking around Trieste, you will notice that many butcher shops have signs advertising the availability of steak tartare on Fridays and Saturdays. This struck me as unusual in more ways than one; having grown up in an Italian-American family, Fridays was rigorously a “no meat” day in the Catholic practice of self-discipline and penance. And…
This year, Trieste celebrates 51 years of the Barcolana Autumn Cup Regatta (La Barcolana), organized by the Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano. This is one of Trieste’s premiere events for locals and visitors alike and is the world’s largest regatta. For 2019’s race, the organization had to place a cap of 2,700 on the number of entries, as the…
I love the Italian phrase, “Tutto il mondo e’ paese” which is clunkily translated to, the world is a small town but the true meaning is that, in spite of geographic distances and cultural differences, some things are the same the world over. I also firmly believe that in part this phenomenon can be traced…
I have lived next door to this Villa since I moved to Trieste. Sealed off to the public by iron gates and a stone wall and video cameras with a sign warning “Military Zone – Keep Out – Armed Guards” I was of course even more curious to understand how this once beautiful villa came to…
With the arrival of the first burrasca (big summer storm) announcing the end of summer, the refreshing chill in the morning sets me dreaming about the dishes and soups I will cook now that the heatwave is over. Of course Italy has many regional soup specialties but in the FVG region, we are blessed to bask…
The Basilica Paleocristiana (Early Christian Basilica) is of significant religious and artistic importance to Trieste. Built between the 4th and 6th centuries AD, it is located in via Madonna del Mare in Cavana, an area that fell outside the walls of ancient Trieste (Tergeste) along a road dotted with burial sites leading to the Roman…
(*)DISCLAIMER: This is NOT a Triestine dish but rather, a regional dish belonging to the Friulian ancient tradition, similar to Friulian agnolotti. I had my first taste in Cividale del Friuli at the restaurant, Il Monastero. It was a revelation; here was a seemingly savory pasta dish but with the first bite, I tasted layers…
Just a little ways down from the Teatro Romano is a wonderful little ice cream shop called Gelato Marco. I was just there yesterday and witnessed a lady peering into the case, hands on head, while she desperately tried to make up her mind as to what to order. Her buddy laughed as it was…
One of the things Italians pride themselves on it’s calculating how to maximize their days off. Thanks to an abundance of religious holidays, the calendar year is peppered with “ponti” or long weekends, strategically mapped out to make the most of days off, even at the expense of tacking on a personal day. The higher…
In Piazza Giotti, just across the street from the Jewish Synagogue is a wonderful little deli or Salumeria run by the Fontanot family. The walls and doors outside are covered with signs describing their inventory. But right away you sense there is something different. Perhaps the meticulous and measured calligraphy evoking some medieval manuscript or…
People often complain that Trieste is so remote — and Triestines joke that they like it that way! But in fact, this famous gateway to “MittleEurope” is undergoing a transformation to make it even more accessible. The biggest news is the new train connection between Trieste and the local international airport Aeroporto Friuli Venezia Giulia (TRS)…
Before I moved to Trieste from NY, I really knew little or nothing about this city or this region of Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG). Unlike other parts of Italy, this region is not covered by the travel press as much as other more popular destinations in Italy and therefore it is refreshingly still relatively undiscovered.…
