Guide to Trieste, North East Italy

IntroductionTrieste is an Adriatic coastal city in				central European and Eastern Mediterranean culture
northeastern Italy, close				in
to the border with Slovenia. The sea in the Gulf of				Trieste is said to have had a great influence on his
Trieste is				writing.Joyce was English tutor to Itali Svevo, the
very clear and clean, with limestone cliffs and rocky				Italian novelist.
beaches. The centre of the city has a mid-European				Svevo was born in Trieste in 1861, his Mother was
feel,				part of a
more Austrian than Italian, Trieste was the seaport				Triestian Jewish family, and his Father was of
of the				German
Hapsburg Empire.Unique PointsYou can enjoy a				descent. Joyce encouraged and praised Svevo's
combination of a sea/beach holiday and the				work and
attractions of a cultural city.It is an ideal destination				Svevo wrote critiques of Joyce's work.Svevo's
for a short break but you could				book, "The Confessions of Zeno", was virtually
easily spend a week here too. The Verdi Theatre				ignored in Italy. However Joyce recommended the
hosts an				book to
opera season in the winter and an operetta festival				publishers in France, where it was hailed as a
in				masterpiece.
summer. You can swim in the beautiful clear sea,				The book is an autobiography of Zeno, written for
stroll the				Zeno's
promenade, and walk along the cliff paths. Take in				psychoanalyst, to help get to the bottom of his
the				smoking
wonderful art collection at the Revoltella Museum.				addiction.Svevo is credited by Welleck as "an Italian
You can				novelist with
sip coffee on Piazza Unita Italia with its grand 19th				permanent appeal as a psychoanalytical psychologist
century				and
buildings, which face onto the sea.Getting				as a portrayer of the inhabitants of Austrian and
thereRyanair flies into Trieste from London				later Italian
Standsted. The				Trieste and their often uncertain national
airport is 35 kms west of Trieste but there is regular				allegiance."Jan Morris wrote the book, "Trieste and
public				the Meaning of
transport on Coach 51 into Trieste.Getting aroundIf				Nowhere". Morris claims this is her final book, a self-
you do decide to hire a car, it is worth checking that				examination based in Trieste. Morris changed gender.
you				Jan Morris first visited Trieste at the end of the
can take it into Slovenia and Croatia if you are				Second
considering				World War as young Welsh soldier. She describes
day trips there.Trieste has a good public transport				how the
network.There is a "Trieste by Bus" city tour in 13				city "curiously haunted her" . She revisited the city
stops. This is				as an
available on Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm from				elderly woman.Morris describes Trieste as "natural
the end of				capital of the nation of
June to mid October. The two and a half hour trip				nowhere". By this she means a home for the
allows				so-called
you to see the city's main attractions. The cost is				"Fourth World" . This is a scattered group with the
around				common
five euros per person.You can take the Opicani tram				values of humour and understanding, usually exiles in
up to the Carso plateau, 348				their
metres above sea level. This funicular tramway was				own communities but probably numerous enough to
built in				form
1902. The tram leaves from Piazza Oberdan in the				their own nation.I laughed at Clay Risen's comment in
city				his piece about
centre up Scorolo hill to the plateau				Trieste in the Square Table in Spring 2003. He
above.HistoryAccording to folklore Trieste was				observed
founded by Tergeste, a				that "Trieste is the only city in Eruope which appears
friend of Jason and the Argonauts. Ancient Tergeste				more
as a				often in reflective essays than in guide books of
Roman colony is dated to around 178 BC. It became				newspaper
more				travel sections."Exploring the cityThe best way to
important during the reign of Octavian when roads				explore the city is to walk around.The Piazza dell'
were				Unita d'Italia is the heart of the city. The
improved.The city has had many rulers during its				square was created towards the end of the 19th
history: Goths,				century. It
Byzantines, and Lombards. In the 13th century				houses the City Hall, with its clock tower featuring
Trieste was				statues of
forced to swear allegiance to Venice. To escape				Mikeze and Lakeze, figures from Trieste folklore;
Venetian				Government House, with its gilded mosaic wall
domination, Trieste sought the protection of Duke				decorations; and the former Head Office of Lloyd
Leopold				Triestino,
of Austria. Trieste was of great importance to the				built in Renaissance style by an Austrian
Hapsburg				architect.The Victory Lighthouse lights the Gulf of
Empire as a seaport and was made a Freeport in				Trieste and
1719.				commemorates the dead of the First World War. It
Without customs barriers the port and city				stands
flourished.At the end of the First World War with				almost 70 metres high with a scaled dome containing
collapse of the				a
Hapsburg Empire, Trieste was returned to Italy in				statue of winged Victory. At the base of the
1918.				column is the
Trieste was taken over by the Third Riech when				anchor of the torpedo boat Audace, the first Italian
Italy				ship to
withdrew from the Second World Ward in				enter the harbour in 1918. The lighthouse took 4
September 1943.				years to
Two years later there was a 40-day Occupation by				complete and was officially opened in 1927.The Old
Tito's				Stock Exchange is a fine example of neo-classical
Yugoslav forces. After 9 years under an				architecture, resembling a Greek temple. The Old
Anglo-American				Stock
government Trieste was handed over to the Italian				Exchange stands by the so called Grand Canal.
government.Trieste's history may help explain why				However
70% of Italians				this is rather an misnomer as the canal is very short.
apparently did not know that Trieste was part of				There
Italy in a				is a statue of Joyce by one of the bridges.The Arco
recent opinion poll!				di Riccard is a Roman gate to the city thought to
With EU enlargement Trieste is ideally placed as the				date from 33 AD. It is in Piazzetta di Ricordo in the
only				old city.
natural port in the centre of Europe. Trieste is one				You can see the Roman amphitheatre at the foot
of three				of San
finalists to host the international Expo of Science,				Guisto hill.The Verdi Opera Theatre opened in 1801.
Technology and Culture in 2008. If its bid is				It is of a similar
successful				style to La Scala in Milan.MuseumsThere are many
there will be more investment in the area and				museums in Trieste, most of which are
Trieste will				closed on Mondays.Probably the best is The
become better known on the world map.Literary				Revoltella Museum, which was
ConnectionsThe Irish author James Joyce lived in				founded in 1872 when Baron Revoletta left his home
Trieste during the				and art
early part of the 20th century. When he first arrived				collection to the city of Trieste. He also set up an
he				endowment, which enabled a larger collection to be
worked as a tutor at the Berlitz School of English. He				acquired. The Art Gallery has now spread over three
went
on to write "The Dubliners", "The Portrait of an				buildings in order to house the ever-expanding
Artist as a				collection by
Young Man" and start "Ulysses" in Trieste. The rich				many Italian and other artists.
mix of

Mezza Matta

Guide to Trieste, North East Italy