First Day
The Old and the New City
1.- A SQUARE BY THE SEA, UNITA’ D’ITALIA SQUARE
(1 hour) 
The biggest and vastest square of Trieste, splendidly facing the sea. It was created at the end of the 1800’s following the tearing down of the old buildings standing near the Piazza Della Borsa. Among these buildings that were torn down there was also
Locanda Grande in which, on June 8th 1768, the German archaeologist and theologian of neoclassic Johannes Joachim Winckelmann, was assassinated.
The buildings
The large rectangular square is closed at the end by the Communal Palace, began in 1872 and projected by the Trieste Architect Giuseppe Bruni and richly decorated. On each end of the square there are beautiful buildings to be seen, constructed at the end of the 1800’s, one of which being
Palazzo del Governo of the Viennese E. Artmann in which the façade is covered with white stones and mosaics.
Another building named del Lloyd Triestino established in 1836; then the baroque
Palazzo Pitteri, in front of which you will find the fountain that symbolizes the four continents known at the time of its construction and the
column dedicated to Carlo IV, the Austrian emperor that invented Porto Franco, also favouring the commercial development of the city.
There is also the Casa Stratti that hosts the historian and recently restored to its original splendour
Café degli Specchi.
A walking tour around Trieste could begin at San Giusto, the largest hill in the city and the site of many buildings which were erected at a time when Trieste was still the ancient Roman city of Tergestum. Standing here on this large square, between the cathedral, the medieval castle ( which has become one of the symbols of Trieste ) and the remains of the basilica , you will be able to enjoy a spectacular view. It will take in the gulf, the upland plains and the red roofs of the old houses in the historic city center, leaving you with unforgettable memories of your stay in this easternmost corner of Italy.
Next, visit the church which was born of the union between the two preceding paleo-Christian basilicas, the castle (an excellent example of a military construction) and then descend towards the sea along the steep, narrow Via della Cattedrale. Here, as you approach the oldest part of the city (which the local council has been in the process of restoring in recent years), you will pass the Museum of Art History, the Orto lapidario (memorial garden), the Benedictine monastery of San Cipriano, and, lower down the Roman basilica of San Silvestro. You will find yourself walking down silent and narrow streets, inhabited predominantly by elderly people, where there are few shops and even fewer cars.
3.- THE ROMAN REMAINS (1 hour)
Established around 52 AD, the city was a Roman colony called Tergeste; of this epoch it still conserves the Roman Theatre and the Arch of Richard.
The Roman Theatre
A monumental theatre which was able to host up to 6000 spectators on its bleachers. It lies at the foot of the San Giusto hill, and faces the sea.
Riccardo Arch
Another monument of the Roman era (the origins of the name are not certain) that goes back most probably to 33 BC.
In the roman remains area we also find the The Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, inspired by the Church of Jesus in Rome and
The Church of San Sylvester, which dates back to the 11th Century and is the oldest church of the city.
where you will find the most important ancient monuments:
the Roman basilica, dating back to the 2nd century AD, the castle and San Giusto Cathedral.
The castle
The standing castle today was built by Frederick II in 1470, the building was later retouched; of the original structure remains the square tower and the establishment that hosts a museum. It displays historical weapons and is frequently used for showing exhibitions, events and during the summer outdoor shows. A walk along the Castle ramparts and bastions gives a complete panorama of the city of Trieste, its hills and the sea.
San Giusto Cathedral
Symbol of the city, it consists of two Romanesque basilicas united in the 14th century. One of which is of the Carolingian era, dedicated to San Giusto, the other of the 11th century dedicated to the Virgin.
Due to a certain importance it is the apses mosaics, work done by the majestic Venetian-Revenant of the 12th century, belonging to the absorbed church of the 11th century, dedicated to Saint Mary Assunta.
From the Cathedral’s square you can arrive to the Lapidary Garden which holds Roman and Medieval relics discovered in Trieste and its region. Inside stands a Cenotaph to the archaeologist Giovanni Winckelmann, the father of neoclassicism who died in Trieste in 1769.
The most cosmopolitan area of Trieste, where religious buildings belonging to different beliefs are found in a short distance from each other, is to be found around
Piazza della Borsa (Stock Market Square) , Canal Grande (canal digged in 1750-56 to allow ships to enter directly the Teresiano district) and the modern city around Via XX Settembre.
Teresiano district was created in 1700’s by the Empress Maria Teresa of Austria, thanks to the fact that Trieste was transformed in one of the principal European ports.
The Church of San Nicolas’ of the the Greeks, wanted in Trieste by the Greek community in 1786 and reserved only for the Orthodox worshippers, is found in Riva III Novembre and presents itself with a simple façade, delimited by two steeples. Inside it is very fascinating, scarcely illuminated and rich of paintings and various architectural elements in decorated wood and gold.
The majestic Catholic Church of the New Saint Anthony dominates the characteristic Canal Grande that leads to the sea.
The church of San Spiridion is a beautiful Orthodox church together with a lively and oriental architecture, designed by Carlo Maciachini around the middle of the 1800’s. The interior and exterior mosaics are of a notable optical illusion. With a certain interest, there are also the post-Byzantine icons which are kept in custody in the temple.
The Jewish Synagogue, in the are of Via Battisti, is one of the most important centres for the Jewish religion in Europe. Built in the beginning of the 1900’s by the architects Ruggero and Arduino Berlam, it is a massive building of grey stone, with a touch of an oriental architecture. It reminds us of the nickname given to Trieste "Zion’s door" for the numerous Jewish community.
6.- THE JOSEPH'S DISTRICT, THE HARBOUR (1 hour)
The harbour still has an important part in the city’s economy and is one of the largest in Italy. Businesses linked to commerce (maritime, insurance companies and banks) are important. Ship-building, petrochemicals, metalworking, steel, paper, pharmaceutical and gastronomy are all active. A stroll along the "Rive", large avenues facing the sea, is a must in Trieste.A visit to La Lanterna beach, attended also in the last century by James Joyce, brings back to an atmosphere of other times as the beach is still divided: on one side you will find the men, and on the other side the women.
Second day
More Attractions under the Sun
The Lighthouse of the Victory, an impressive work of art done by the Triestine architect Arduino Berlam (1840-1946) and by the sculptor Giovanni Mayer (1863-1943), has two important roles: besides the fact of lighting the gulf of Trieste, to help ships that are coming into the harbour, it is also a commemorative monument dedicated to the men who died in war during World War I, as testified by the inscription: "SHINE AND REMEMBER THE MEN WHO DIED AT SEA MCMXVMCMXVIII".
The top of the column is covered by a copper dome, which is crowned by the daring statue of the Victory made of embossed copper sculptured by Giovanni Mayer.On
the Colle di Gretta (Gretta Hill), architect Arduino Berlam erected the
impressive 70-meter-high Faro della Vittoria (Lighthouse of Victory) in white
Istrian stone. On top of the lighthouse is a scaled dome on which a bronze
winged Victory stands. The sculpture was made by Giovanni Mayer, and at the foot
of the lighthouse is the anchor of the "Audace", the torpedo-boat
destroyer from which the first Italian soldiers landed in 1918.
The most romantic, if not the quickest way to get to the Carso above Trieste is on the old funicular tramway that runs up from Oberdan Square in the city centre along Scorcola hill to the city of Opicina on the highland. The ride offers splendid views of Trieste and the Gulf.
A characteristic aspect of the city are the cafés, heritage of the Austrian culture. In these gathered atmospheres, the people of Trieste love to relax reading the newspaper and chit-chatting with their friends. Together with pubs and buffets, they are typical places in the everyday life of Trieste.
Cafés used to be a cultural, ethnical and political meeting point for writers, artists and Irredentists in the late XIX and early XX century, along with others like Freud, Saba, Rilke and Svevo. Among them we cannot forget the
Tommaseo, one of the most dearest in the heart of the people of Trieste; the Stella Polare, in front of the Church of Saint Anthony; the
Café San Marco in Via Battisti, very old, which maintains its atmosphere and still today is a meeting place for letter writing people, art lovers, poets and intellectuals of all ages.
4.- THE IMPERIAL CASTLE OF MIRAMARE 3 hours
Bus ACT line 36 or Boat Service
Pass the train station (on your left) and keep going for a few kilometers until you reach the splendid Miramar Castle.. Stop off in one of the two excellent ice cream parlors on the right hand side of the road and enjoy a cone while strolling down the seafront at Barcola. Miramar Castle is the splendid residence of Maximillian of Hapsburg . Visiting the castle and surrounding parkland is a must for any visitor to the city. The
Castello di Miramar (Miramar Castle) stands out at the end of the Riviera di
Barcola, snow-white and surrounded by the sea, whose waves break against the
rock of the basement. Miramar, the "love nest" of Maximilian of
Hapsburg and Charlotte of Belgium, was built between 1856 and 1860 by architect
Carl Junker on the will of Maximilian himself. Here the prince and princess,
still hesitant facing the choice between a retired life and their court duties
but already prepared to take on the honour and burden of the Mexican crown,
lived a short happy period. Here the visit of the Mexican delegation marked the
starting point of that process which was to lead both of them to a tragical
ending, which drew a veil of romantic melancholy over the castle. It
subsequently became Amedeo of Aosta's residence and, from 1943 to 1954, the
headquarters of foreign military troops. Now the castle is a museum entrusted to
the Sovrintendenza ai Monumenti (Monuments and Fine Arts Service) and its halls
are open to the public. The park surronding the castle is also wonderful,
especially owing to the variety of trees that Maximilian himself chose and
planted, which are now an invaluable heritage. Many picturesque corners can be
found, such as the pond of the swans and that of the lotus flowers, the
Castelletto with Maximilian's bronze statue in its proximities, and the small
chapel where there is a cross made with the wreck of the "Novara", the
flagship with which Franz Josef's brother sailed from Miramar to be crowed
Emperor of Mexico. Now in the park with its "natural" background,
"Light and Sound", a performance recalling the tragical story of
Maximilian and Charlotte, and the "Passeggiate Musicali" (sort of
Promenade Concerts) of the Opera Giocosa del Friuli Venezia Giulia are held.
In the summer, you will be able to enjoy the Luci e Suoni, (light and sound) festival which takes place on a stage constructed on the seafront. This is an interesting mix of technology and tradition for years it has put on successful performances charting the history and of the castle and its successive inhabitants in various languages.
Leave Miramar and head in the direction of Venice following the coastal road (the principle means of entry into the city) which winds past the gulf and the backbone of the Karst and from which you can enjoy an excellent panoramic view (on a clear day, you can even see the Istrian coast). N.B.: the speed limits here are extremely low, so make sure you stick to them. This is because the road is full of hairpin bends and therefore very dangerous. The area is also constantly patrolled by the police.
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Third day
THE ENVIRONS AND THE TRIESTE COAST
The part of the coast called Riviera di Barcola
runs below the lighthouse. It is a splendid promenade by the sea where
international regattas take place every year and where many people bathe in the
summer. It is one of the favourite and most frequented parts of the town.
Beyond the Park of Miramar, a sea-life park protected by the WWF, and the
expanse of water in front of it, is the Baia di Grignano (Grignano Bay), on the
bottom of which the bronze statue of San Giusto by Tristano Alberti lies as a
memory of the martirdom of the patron saint of the town. A bit farther, beyond
the small harbour of Santa Croce and the Marina d'Aurisina, there is the
splendid Sistiana Bay, and then the castle of Duino protrudes from the rocks
jutting out over the sea. It is the private residence of the Prince of Torre e
Tasso, and part of it is used to lodge the United World College. It may be
visited on exceptional occasions only. The ruins of the ancient stronghold, the
"Dama Bianca" (White Lady), can be reached much more easily; it can be
seen from the sea and is thought to have been built in the XII century. The
Rilke path runs along the ridge; it was named after Rilke, the German poet of
Austrian origin who wrote the Duino Elegies during his stay in the castle and
had chosen the path as his favourite promenade. It runs from Duino to Sistiana
among woods and rocks and, with landscape of rare beauty, it offers the
opportunity to visit an incontaminated environment where the peregrine falcon
makes its nest. "Unde per ora novem, vasto cum murmure montis, It mare
praeruptum et pelago premit arva sonanti". This is the passage of the
"Aeneid" where Virgilius describes the Timavo, the tumultuous river
which, after meandering underground, finds its outlet a few meters from the
national road nr.14, near the small old Chiesa di San Giovanni in Tuba. Like all
places of historical interest, the Foci del Timavo (Mouths of the Timavo) are
particularly suggestive, especially after the recent archaeological findings in
the area. The Timavo river springs at the piedmont of Mount Nevoso. It is an
absolutely normal river down to the small village of San Canziano, where it gets
down deep into a chasm, starting its way underground for over 35 Km., the which
has inevitably stirred the imagination of our forefathers.
MUGGIA, A VENETIAN COASTAL TOWN - 1
1/2 hours
Boat Service TRIESTE MUGGIA 1.70 €
Muggia itself is a beautiful seaside town. It has its own distinct history, which differs from that of Trieste. This is mainly due to a vow of loyalty which it made to Venice in the thirteenth century. The old town center contains a beautiful harbor set in the midst of old, narrow streets which are full of character. This area has been recently renovated and is dominated by a magnificent fourteenth century castle. A few kilometers away from the town center stands the Romanesque basilica of Santa Maria Assunta
from the square in front, you can take in a magnificent panoramic view. Going
along the coast from Trieste to the border between Italy and Yugoslavia,
visitors come across Muggia, a charming small Venetian town looking on to the
gulf, with a historical centre enclosed by medieval walls. The castle erected in
1375 by Patriarch Marquando of Randeck towers over the town. Among the festivals
which mark the social and cultural life of the ancient town, the most impotant
one certainly are the Carnival of Muggia, full of colours, and the extremely
interesting Teatro dei Ragazzi in Piazza (Children Theatre in the Streets). The
Carnival turns the grey of the winter into lively colours, transforming the old
little harbour full of fishing-boats and pleasure crafts into a small Rio. The
Children Theatre, on the other hand, is a merry kermess which takes place every
July, attracting an enthusiastic crowd of grown-ups and children alike to the
streets and squares of Muggia. The town has its own gastronomical traditions
with Venetian and Istrian influence. Dishes are mainly based on fish and
flavours are generally delicate. It is nice to walk along the narrow streets and
charming corners, which are really picturesque. On the hill overlooking the dock
there is the small Basilica dell'Assunta, of the X Century, allegedly built on
earlier Paleochristian foundations, rich in delicate and at the same time
valuable treasures of art, among which the relief moulding of the presbyterial
enclosure, the sculptures of the ambo and the Romanesque frescoes of the XIII
century.
Muggia is also home to an enormous tourist complex - Porto San Rocco - which contains hotels, sports grounds, restaurants, boat moorings and other tourist attractions. It was built on the sight of a ship-yard where world-renowned ship builders once plied their trade.
The town is also famous for its carnival, which is a tribute to ancient folk traditions and rituals. For decades, hundreds of enthusiastic townspeople have been involved in the construction of large, allegorical floats and in the design and creation of stupendous costumes.
As you return from Muggia, you will pass the old, slightly gloomy but elegant Aquilina and the Via Flavia. Turn right in the direction of Bagnoli and follow the signs for Val Rosandra. You will pass the Rifugio Alpino Premuda , 100 meters above sea level, the lowest Italian official mountain refuge, and enter into perhaps the most beautiful corner of the Carso an extraordinary valley full of paths, at the end of which is one of the few pedestrians border areas which remain. This area which is a natural paradise and a heaven for climbers is also home to the remains of an ancient Roman aqueduct.
DUINO, NOBLE CASTLES AND ROCKY BEACHES 2 and 1/2 hours
Bus APT line 51 or 21 (blue) or Sea line or Bus ACT line 44 (green/orange)
Along the coastal road, you will come across the villages of Duino , Sistiana and finally Villaggio del Pescatore (fishermen's village). Duino and Sistiana (both popular tourist attractions) are linked by the sentiero Rilke, a seaside path (named after the German Romantic poet) covered in overhanging rocks which runs for two kilometers. Village del Pescatore on the other hand, is a small modern village which is home to numerous sports grounds. It is also where crocodile and dinosaur remains were discovered several years ago, which meant that it received several mentions in both the local and national papers.
THE RILKE'S PROMENADE 2 hours
This beautiful path runs above the sea. It is a few kilometres long and has woods on one side and a breathtaking view over the Sistiana Bay and the Duino castle on the other. It is suitable for anyone as it is a very easy walk. It starts from the seasonal base of the Azienda di promozione turistica (Tourism Office) of Sistiana and ends at the entrance to the village of Duino. You can admire the view from several spectacular viewpoints along the path, and you may also find the First World War posts interesting.
To get to this path from Trieste you could take the number 44 bus which stops very near the start of the path, but on the other side of the road. If you decide to travel by car then be careful because there are only a limited number of parking places, it might be better to park further down the road and reach the path on foot.
ROSANDRA VALLEY AND RIFUGIO PREMUDA
Bus ACT line 41
This refuge is located at the entrance to Val Rosandra, in one of the most unusual and evocative corners of the Carso Triestino, on the left-hand bank of the stream. The local enviroment is very particular to this area - the vegetation, the rocky wallsm, and the caves evoke an alpine landscape, but it is only 100 metres above sea level. The Premuda is the lowest Italian mountain refuge. It was opened by the Società Alpina delle Giulie in 1940, and is the base for the "Emilio Comici" National Alpinism School, as well as being and ideal base for excursions into the valley. It is only 20-30 minutes outside the city (to get there just go towards Muggia and then follow the signs to Val Rosandra), but it is immersed in a sort of natural paradise.
The Premuda is a stone building with a large garden and a very big carpark. It is like a typical Alpine refuge. It is very busy during the Summer when its full of cavers, climbers, naturalists, and families on holiday. It doesn't have any beds. It is also easy to reach by bus, the nearest stop is just a few hundred metres away in the village of Bagnoli.
Obviously the food and drink available is nothing out of the ordinary. As in all refuges you eat simple, but tasty food. The food is mostly made up of sliced ham and cheese, but there are also a few hot dishes such as pasta, soups, and gnocchi. It is the ideal place to start your excursion from, and is in a beautiful location.
THE CARSTIC HIGLANDS (about 3 hours)
Bus line 39
At this point, a visit to the Carso. Even if you have already been to Val Rosandra, you should not leave Trieste without visiting the rest of the upland plains. The Carso offers a beautiful, unique landscape, characterized by white, limestone rock. There is no other area quite like it in Europe. The flora here is exceptionally rich, despite the fact that there is very little water here. It is all filtered underground into large deep cavities . The territory is sprinkled with low-lying areas, woods, clearings, moors and canyons as well as eroded rock faces.
On a thirty-kilometer strip running along the upland plains, you will find a hundred and twenty restaurants, several farms, eighty guest houses, and numerous farm shops which sell produce and wines. You will also come across the imposing
Faro della Vittoria, the Monte Grisa santuario, the extraordinary
Grotta Gigante and the Casa Carsica - an ancient rural dwelling which has been transformed into a museum. It is here that the local people bi-annually organizes nozze carsiche (or a typical Carso wedding) when a young local couple is permitted to marry in accordance with ancient local customs and traditions.
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Arts and Culture
Trieste is one big, open-air museum. As you walk through the city's streets and squares, open your eyes and take a look around you. Ancient Roman buildings are interspersed with beautiful eighteenth-century ones, Austrian-style landscapes, churches of all dominations, Art Nouveau façades, rural towns and villages such as Muggia and those on the upland plains.
There are also of course, traditional theatres and museums as well as spaces where exhibitions and other large Europe-wide events are held .
Trieste is also the city of historical Cafés, of literature (it is home to favoured haunts of James Joyce, Saba and the contemporary writer Claudio Magris), of carefree Sundays spent in the beautiful Carso and also of science. Some of the most important scientific and technological research institutions in the country are based here.
Museums
Trieste has a huge selection of 41 Museums, as it is rich in both artistic treasures and historical curios. Thanks to the nineteenth century patronage of the arts, the city was flooded with valuable art collections, including the collection of contemporary art which is housed in the Museo Revoltella. It is one of the most renowned and complete collections of art in the country.
Also worth a visit are the Civil Museum of Natural History, the museum of San Giusto Castle (a typical example of a military building) and the Museum of the Risorgimento which charts the events leading up to Trieste's annexation with Italy.
The Museo Teatrale Schmidl is second only to the museum of the Scala in Milan. Here, instruments, scores, records, photographs and other important evidence of the Italian theatrical scene can be seen on display.
The Campo Marzio train station ( from where trains once ran to Central Europe) today houses the Railway Museum, an interesting collection of electrical and steam locomotives, while the small Ethnographical Museum of Servola contains a remarkable collection of items which were used in daily life and charts the history of traditions and costumes which are long gone.
The Risiera di San Sabba is one of the few Nazi concentration camp in Italy and the Foiba di Basovizza bears witness to the horrors committed here by the Communists both have been preserved as national monuments. Set a little time aside to visit the Foiba di Basovizza. This is the site where thousands of Italians were incarcerated in the gigantic underground cavities of the Carso during the Second World War. Their crime was having spoken out against Marshall Tito's Communist regime. If the Risiera is the site of criminal atrocities committed by the Nazis, then the site of the Foibe is testimony to the terrifying and cruel atrocities committed by the Communists in Italy.
Among the curiosities which should be visted are a network of underground passageways used by the Nazis to conceal themselves and to travel around the city, and the Casa Carsica - an ancient rural settlement on the upland plains.
Theatre and Cinema
Theatre
The oldest theatre in the city is the Teatro Verdi. This building (only a stone's throw from the Piazza dell'Unità d'Italia) was inaugurated in 1801, and its structure resembles that of the Scala in Milan. Today - along with a variety of shows and performances throughout the year it hosts an extremely popular Operatic Festival. Opera has a long and consolidated history in Trieste, in fact the city is often said to be Italy's operatic capital. The Teatro Verdi is also very popular with lovers of classical music.
For those who prefer drama, the Teatro Rossetti (which is especially popular with young people) often stages both classical and modern plays with which some of Italy's best actors are involved.
Extremely entertaining comedies are often put on in the Teatro Cristallo and in the Teatro dei Salesiani and in the Teatro Pellico. The Teatro Miela on the coast puts on shows and performances of all genres.
Cinema
Most of the cinemas in Trieste can be found along the Viale XX Settembre, where many new cinemas have been built over the last years. In addition to the Excelsior, the Sala Azzurra and the multi-screened Nazionale, you will find the large Ambasciatori, the Super, the Fellini and the Giotto - a dynamic cinema containing all the latest technology. The nearby car park is often full, and at weekends and on days of national premieres there are always huge queues outside the box office.
The Ariston (which also stays open during the summer months) alternates between showing blockbusters and animated films, while if you are looking to spend a little less, try the Capitol or the Alcione which shows slightly older films.
In the summer, you can enjoy an open-air cinema among the trees in the giardino pubblico on the Via Giulia in the city centre and in the
Ariston.
Finally In the Shopping Mall Torri you find the multi-screened Cinecity with bars and restaurants open until 3 AM
The Teatro Miela often shows short and long films from Alpe Adria. These are often shown just once and are sometimes sub-titled.
Music
It is only in recent years that the Valmaura stadium has been used to host large rock concerts; smaller events are often hosted at the Teatro Rossetti and the Palace of Sports.
As for nightclubs, try the Mandracchio and the Machiavelli (which is on the road to Miramare). In the summer, if dancing on the beach is your thing, visit the Cantera Cafè in Sistiana, while Jazz fans should visit Around Midnight - a club in the city centre which hosts musicians both from the Trieste region and further afield.
The Trieste Song Festival also deserves a mention. Over twenty of these have been held and they consist of a number of local groups and soloists performing folk music.
Festival dell'Operetta
The international festival of light opera is held in July and August each year in the historical Opera House and in the nearby and modern Sala Tripcovich.
Given its subject matter, this is one of the most important festivals in Europe. For an entire month, one can enjoy productions such as "Sissi" by Fritz Kreisler or "Il paese del sorriso" and "Judith" by Franz Lear produced and sung by some of the best talents in the world.
This is an important historical and cultural event for Trieste loved by hundreds of people but which attracts people from all over Italy and nearby countries.
THE TRIESTINE RIVIERA
On
the Colle di Gretta (Gretta
Hill), architect Arduino Berlam erected the impressive 70-meter-high Faro
della Vittoria (Lighthouse of Victory) in white Istrian stone. On top of the
lighthouse is a scaled dome on which a bronze winged Victory stands. The
sculpture was made by Giovanni Mayer, and at the foot of the lighthouse is the
anchor of the "Audace", the torpedo-boat destroyer from which the
first Italian soldiers landed in 1918. The part of the coast called Riviera di Barcola
runs below the lighthouse. It is a splendid promenade by the sea where
international regattas take place every year and where many people bathe in the
summer. It is one of the favourite and most frequented parts of the
town. The
Castello di Miramar (Miramar Castle) stands out at the end of the Riviera di
Barcola,
snow-white and surrounded by the sea, whose waves break against the rock of the
basement. Miramar, the "love nest" of Maximilian of Hapsburg and
Charlotte of Belgium, was built between 1856 and 1860 by architect Carl Junker
on the will of Maximilian himself. Here the prince and princess, still hesitant
facing the choice between a retired life and their court duties but already
prepared to take on the honour and burden of the Mexican crown, lived a short
happy period. Here the visit of the Mexican delegation marked the starting point
of that process which was to lead both of them to a tragical ending, which drew
a veil of romantic melancholy over the castle. It subsequently became Amedeo of
Aosta's residence and, from 1943 to 1954, the headquarters of foreign military
troops. Now the castle is a museum entrusted to the Sovrintendenza ai
Monumenti (Monuments and Fine Arts Service) and its halls are open to the public.
The park surronding the castle is also wonderful, especially owing to the
variety of trees that Maximilian himself chose and planted, which are now an
invaluable heritage. Many picturesque corners can be found, such as the pond of
the swans and that of the lotus flowers, the Castelletto with Maximilian's
bronze statue in its proximities, and the small chapel where there is a cross
made with the wreck of the "Novara", the flagship with which Franz
Josef's brother sailed from Miramar to be crowed Emperor of Mexico. Now in the
park with its "natural" background, "Light and Sound", a
performance recalling the tragical story of Maximilian and Charlotte, and the
"Passeggiate Musicali" (sort of Promenade Concerts) of the Opera
Giocosa del Friuli Venezia Giulia are held. Beyond the Park of Miramar, a
sea-life park protected by the WWF, and the expanse of water in front of it, is
the Baia di Grignano (Grignano
Bay), on the bottom of which the bronze statue of San Giusto by Tristano Alberti
lies as a memory of the martirdom of the patron saint of the town. A bit
farther,
beyond the small harbour of Santa Croce and the Marina d'Aurisina, there is the
splendid Sistiana Bay, and then the castle of Duino protrudes from the rocks
jutting out over the sea. It is the private residence of the Prince of Torre
e Tasso, and part of it is used to lodge the United World College. It may be
visited on exceptional occasions only. The ruins of the ancient stronghold, the
"Dama Bianca" (White Lady), can be reached much more easily; it can be
seen from the sea and is thought to have been built in the XII century. The
Rilke path runs along the ridge; it was named after Rilke, the German poet of
Austrian origin who wrote the Duino Elegies during his stay in the castle and
had chosen the path as his favourite promenade. It runs from Duino to Sistiana
among woods and rocks and, with landscape of rare beauty, it offers the
opportunity to visit an incontaminated environment where the peregrine falcon
makes its nest. "Unde per ora novem, vasto cum murmure montis, It mare
praeruptum et pelago premit arva sonanti". This is the passage of the
"Aeneid" where Virgilius describes the Timavo, the tumultuous river
which, after meandering underground, finds its outlet a few meters from the
national road nr.14, near the small old Chiesa di
San Giovanni in Tuba. Like all places of historical interest, the Foci del
Timavo (Mouths of the Timavo) are particularly suggestive, especially after the
recent archaeological findings in the area. The Timavo river springs at the
piedmont of Mount Nevoso. It is an absolutely normal river down to the small
village of San Canziano, where it gets down deep into a chasm, starting its way
underground for over 35 Km., the which has inevitably stirred the imagination of
our forefathers. Going along the coast from Trieste to the border between Italy
and Yugoslavia, visitors come across Muggia, a charming small Venetian town
looking on to the gulf, with a historical centre enclosed by medieval walls.
The castle erected in 1375 by Patriarch Marquando of Randeck towers over the
town. Among the festivals which mark the social and cultural life of the ancient
town, the most impotant one certainly are the Carnival of Muggia, full of
colours, and the extremely interesting Teatro dei Ragazzi in Piazza
(Children
Theatre in the Streets). The Carnival turns the grey of the winter into lively
colours, transforming the old little harbour full of fishing-boats and pleasure
crafts into a small Rio. The Children Theatre, on the other hand, is a merry
kermess which takes place every July, attracting an enthusiastic crowd of
grown-ups and children alike to the streets and squares of Muggia. The town has
its own gastronomical traditions with Venetian and Istrian influence. Dishes are
mainly based on fish and flavours are generally delicate. It is nice to walk
along the narrow streets and charming corners, which are really picturesque. On
the hill overlooking the dock there is the small Basilica dell'Assunta, of the X
Century, allegedly built on earlier Paleochristian foundations, rich in delicate
and at the same time valuable treasures of art, among which the relief moulding
of the presbyterial enclosure, the sculptures of the ambo and the Romanesque
frescoes of the XIII century.
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