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