Trieste is one of those cities that is beautiful to look at; the stunning blue of the sea, the packed marinas with mast dancing in sync, the broad expanse of Piazza Unita’ facing the open gulf, the ornate and very pretty Viennese style architecture dotted with interesting and sometimes unusual scultpural details — everywhere you…
Many of us are starting to mull over what to do this summer. Taking planes, even trains might still seem a little risky. While Trieste is one of those cities that offers lots of options; water sports, cycling, hiking, cultural events etc. one does want a change of scenery every now and then. Luckily, we…
It seems incredible that after 4 years of living here, I’m still able to uncover things about this city that I never knew before. It seems that Trieste is the birthplace of Italy’s commercial air travel. 97 years ago, commercial flights began departing from Trieste. Yes, I know, that seems very far-fetched and yet it’s…
Going to catch the number 9 bus on Viale Mazzini, one passes a building with the inscription Hotel de la Ville. Just the name transports me; I immediately envision corsetted women with elegant bustles and bootlets, with dizzying amounts of laces walking with their moustached gentlemen in top hats and carrying walking canes. It’s hard…
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…
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…
The Molo Audace is perhaps one of the most iconic piers in Europe, if not the world. Jutting out in front of what is the largest piazza facing open water, it hides a secret … buried beneath it is the relic of the old San Carlo, a large merchant ship which it is said to…
Oftentimes, whilst doing the most ordinary of things here in Trieste, I see something or go somewhere that reminds me of the extraordinary history of this city and the amazing generosity of the great old families of Trieste. Recently I needed to seek out a physical therapist for a problem with my back and I…
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…
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…
My favorite thing about Easter in Trieste is the delicious Titola. A traditional Easter cake that makes its appearance for a brief time right around the holiday, it is wrapped in cellophane and colorful bows. It is as pretty as it is delicious with its colorful easter eggs nestled in the shiny, moist braided dough.…
The only reason I have ever traveled to the town of Ronchi dei Legionari is to get to Trieste’s airport. “Ronchi” means cultivated lands and the town was originally called Ronchi di Monfalcone. The name changed came after Gabriele D’Annunzio (famed Italian military man, poet, playwright, journalist, patriot) led 2,000 locals — not part of…
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…
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…
