I present to you my hometown of Trieste, located in north-eastern Italy, on the Adriatic sea, on the border with Slovenia and just a few miles north of Croatia.
Location:
Let’s start with a view of the city and its Gulf with the seaside neighborhood of Barcola and the lighthouse Faro della Vittoria in the foreground and the rest of the city behind:
A view of the Gulf of Trieste, looking towards the coast of Istria:
Piazza Unità d’Italia is the city’s largest square, facing directly the sea :
During Roman times, this area was part of the Adriatic Sea. It was only through the centuries that it was landfilled. The square was initially much smaller and called Piazza Grande. During the middle ages it was not oriented towards the sea, and was adjacent to a small harbor (Il Mandracchio).
Some rare images of the square’s aspect before it’s expansion I found in a book (sorry for the bad quality). It definitely looked more cozy and less grand:
A map of the Piazza’s former layout and of the former dock which was subsequently landfilled:
Now to the buildings facing the square.
Trieste’s City Hall, built in 1875 in eclectic style:
Palazzo Modello, built in 1873 in eclectic style, was supposed to be a model to be imitated by other buildings on the town’s square:
Palazzo Stratti (1839) housing the Caffè degli Specchi (one of Trieste’s most famous coffeehouses) on its ground floor is on the left, and Palazzo Modello on the right:
Palazzo Pitteri in the background. The Fontana dei Quattro Continenti (Four Continents Fountain), built in 1751, is in the foreground: it has been moved to different locations of the square since I can remember. Also, a 1728 statue of Emperor Charles VI of Habsburg (Trieste was the Austrian empire’s main port until 1918) is next to the fountain.
Hotel Duchi D’Aosta:
Palazzo del Governo (1904-1905):
Palazzo del Lloyd Triestino (1880s):
A look towards the Rive, Trieste’s waterfront promenade:
The Molo Audace (Audace pier), named after the Italian navy ship that docked here after unification with Italy:
The Rive, with the former Fish-market (now used for exhibitions) in the background:
A view in the opposite direction, towards the Borgo Teresiano (translation: The Theresian Quarter):
My sorry attempt to take photos of the area at night. The harbor:
The promenade:
Piazza Unità (I dislike the rows of blue lights which make it look like an airport runway by night):
This is just the beginning, I will keep adding photographs as time passes.
There is much much more to come
