Last month, on January 24, amid little fanfare or celebration, the Despar supermarket opened its doors onto Piazza Unita’. Long awaited, much debated and controversial, the arrival of a supermarket on the most iconic piazza in Italy was largely frowned upon by almost everyone in Trieste, concerned that it would “cheapen” the piazza and quickly…
Recognized as one of the forefathers of Italian advertising poster art “Cartonellismo”, Leopoldo Metlicovitz is being commemorated with twin exhibits at the beautiful Carlo Schmidel Museum on the famed Canal Grande and at the sumptuous Museo Revoltella off of the trendy Via Torino. Leopoldo Metlicovitz (1868-1944), a native of Trieste, worked primarily in Milan for…
The Nonino family would be the first to tell you that there is no such thing as magic — only hard work and passion. And, if anything comes close to magic it is their matriarch, Giannola Nonino (nee’ Bulfoni in 1938 in Percoto (UD)) also known as the Queen of Grappa. When I was growing…
Trieste is inherently tied to Vienna. Having been under Austrian rule since as far back as 1382, when the main citizens of Trieste in petitioned Leopold III of Habsburg, Duke of Austria in order to become part of his domains. Subsequently Trieste gained wealth and importance as the port city of the consolidated Austrian Littoral. It became little Vienna on the…
In Trieste, every season and holiday has its “must-haves” sweets, whether it’s Titola for Easter, Gnocchi di Susine to mark the end of summer or Fave dei Morti in the Fall. Christmastime is no different and holiday tables will be laden with a variety of baked goods. Here are the desserts that you will surely find at a typical Triestine Christmas:…
Trieste’s public transportation includes a very efficient and environmentally friendly bus service and ferry service (Delfino Verde). Recently added to Trieste’s system is the new HopTour bus service. Many tourists who visit Trieste don’t often rent cars, and yet several of the sightseeing hotspots are not located in the downtown area. Here’s where HopTour comes…
Le Fave dei Morti (“The Fava Beans of the Dead”) sounds particularly well-suited to this time of year, now that we’re coming up on Halloween and the Giorno dei Morti, or Day of the Dead. Each year, starting in October, piles of pink, white and brown round treats fill the windows of the local bakeries.…
With the 50th Anniversary of Barcolana successfully celebrated and relegated to the annals of history with a record-breaking 2700 boats and more than 250,000 visitors — summer is now officially over and mother nature seems to agree. Gone are the warm breezy days of early fall, and now grey skies, red sumac and a more…
This year, Trieste celebrates 50 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. Organizers hope to beat last year’s record of 2101 boats! See footage of the start of last year’s race here.…
For a short period of time every year, every store is stocked beautiful blue and purple plums! Find out how they are part of the Trieste cooking tradition on bestoftrieste.com
Just north of Trieste, next door to Opicina, lies the town of Monrupino (Repentabor in Slovenian *). It is marked by the Sanctuary of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin which can be seen perched atop the hill overlooking the Karst. This is a popular destination for locals and tourists alike as, from here, you…
Trieste is one of those cities that is beautiful to look at; the stunning blue of the sea, the packed marinas, the amazing Piazza Unita’ facing the open gulf, the ornate Viennese style architecture — everywhere you look it seems, there is something new to see and that instantly piques your curiosity. One day, as…
I have had some wonderful meals at the Ristorante Al Monastero, a restaurant in Cividale del Friuli that serves traditional friulian cuisine. The old-style building was once a fraternity house of the order of Santa Maria dei Battuti (a secular medieval order sworn to offer aid and assistance in the form of hospice, shelter and…
Often referred to as the “lungs” of the city, Trieste’s parks and gardens offer pleasant refuge from the dog days of summer and lovely displays of color in spring and fall. Trieste’s main gardens prominently featuring botanical specimens are: The Civico Orto Botanico: Established in 1842 the city-run botanical garden is a small but lush…
Trieste is famous for its “buffets”. No, not the American style, all-you-can-eat self service brunchy buffet you’re thinking of…. In Trieste, buffets are an institution, a legacy from the days under the Austro-Hungarian Empire of which the city is still proud. The buffet is a “democratic” eatery equally loved by workers, students, retirees and ladies…
