Carnevale is just around the corner. Store fronts are filled with glittery masks and brightly colored costumes and bakeries are showcasing the typical holiday fried fare consisting of crostoli, bugie ripiene, frittole, castagnole and other goodies! Everywhere you walk, you see the remnants of early celebrations; confetti and streamers scattered and balled up in street…
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 that starting March 19, 2018, there will be a new train connection between Trieste…
Trieste doesn’t disappoint on New Year’s Eve, (“la vigilia di Capodanno”). Celebrations abound at clubs, restaurants and bars throughout the city and this year, New Year’s eve celebrations also return to the beautiful medieval Castello San Giusto, offering a prime position from which to view the fireworks over the gulf of Trieste. The party in…
I was surprised when Universal Pictures released the horror/comedy film entitled Krampus in 2015. I had just moved to Trieste but until then, I had never heard of the Krampus lore which here coincides with the feast of Saint Nicholas. There are celebrations that last over several days and encompass several mountain villages in the…
“Il Rossetti” is the name of the playhouse in Trieste. Formally known as the Politeama Rossetti or Teatro Stabile del Friuli-Venezia Giulia — it is where one goes to see headliner plays, musicals and concerts. Politeama means multi-purpose; from one man shows featuring local folk hero Simone Cristicchi to plays featuring some of Italy’s most…
The name, Illy is universally associated with high quality coffee. The company logo shares the colors of Trieste, red & white, where the company was born and where its headquarters still reside. I had the opportunity to tour the facility last week, and, I have to say it is a very impressive operation. Founded on…
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 to 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. These…
Trieste’s City Hall or Municipio is the most iconic landmark of the City. It presides over Europe’s largest piazza overlooking the sea. It is beautiful in the day and even more so at night, when it is illuminated. Designed by Giuseppe Bruni, it was built between 1873 and 1875 on the site previously occupied by the Magistrate’s Palace and Loggia, incorporating…
The Teatro Giuseppe Verdi of Trieste is a beautiful pink and white confection just next to Piazza Unita’ often referred to as the “Salotto di Trieste”, (The Drawing Room of Trieste). It is home to the Symphony, Ballet and Opera in Trieste. Under the guidance of Stefano Pace, it’s superintendent, the Verdi has just…
Once the great port of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and located at the crossroads of Mittle-Europe, Trieste was and has always been a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural hub. Here it’s easy to find diverse places of worship that date back to when Maria Theresa and her son Emperor Joseph II, ruled over the city. In an attempt to…
The Trieste Golf Club is the oldest golf course in the FVG Region. Designed and originally built as a 9-hole course by the American Troops immediately after the end of World War II in 1954, it was extended to an 18-hole course in 2005, when the club celebrated its 50th anniversary. At…
While visiting the Museo Diocesano in Udine recently, I came upon an unusual collection of small paintings. Each one depicted a particularly gruesome scene; someone falling from a rooftop, someone being gored in the eye by a bull, someone being trampled by a carriage and so on. They reminded me of the terrible illustrations…
Located in the heart of Trieste is the ancient Teatro Romano. Dating back to the 1st Century AD it was built by Quintus Petronius Modestus, a statesman during the reign of Emperor Trajan (who was step-father to Hadrian). The Roman Theatre is nestled at the foot of the hill of San Giusto whose slope provided…
Where do Triestines go when they are looking for authentic home-cooked meals? Look no further than Mariabologna. I have often passed by this shop in Via Cesare Battisti and and immediately sensed that there was something special about this shop…that somehow time had stood still here, preserving all that was good. From the vintage whimsical…
Jutting out above the Rive 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…
