Astride middle European and Mediterranean cultures, Trieste has always been a very charming city. Both
Trieste's geographical position, which makes it an ideal sort of bridge to Eastern Europe, and the presence of
important cultural institutions, such as the Research Area and the International Center for Theoretical Physics,
play a fundamental role in giving the city its charm.
With a wealth of museums and works of art, Trieste is noted for her cosmopolitan vocation and for her literary
atmosphere. Her cafés (Tommaseo, degli Specchi, San Marco) are meeting places for intellectuals and her in
streets there is a succession of neoclassical palaces that confer, by simple appearance, the image of an
important middle European city.
The hill, where the Castle actually rises, constitutes the most antique nucleus of "Tergeste". Inhabited since
prehistoric times, it was a Roman colony in the 1st century BC, then came under domination first by the
Byzantine Empire and then by the Francs. It fought against absorption by the growing power of the Venetian
Republic, and finally passed under Hapsburg domination in the 15th century, the which favored its development
as a commercial center and a crossroads for different peoples and cultures (Italian, German, Slavic).
During the 1800s, the opening of the San Marco and the San Rocco Shipyards signaled the moment of the
greatest progress in the naval shipyard industry. This created a strong armature in the economic fabric of the
city that gave rise to the development of the initiatives that have left their mark with time. One need only note
the foundation of the Assicurazioni Generali (the Generali Insurance Company) in 1831 and Lloyd Triestino
Insurance in 1836, to understand the managerial furor of the times. In 1918 Trieste was ceded to Italy and
became the regional capital of the province of Friuli-Venezia-Giulia.
On the hill that dominates the city, the Hill of San Giusto, a Cathedral of the same name has grown up. The
church was the result of uniting the two pre-existing basilicas and was enriched by adding mosaics during the
12th and 13th centuries. The ruins of the antique Roman Forum and Theater represent the only remaining trace
of the imperial period. The local museum is interesting, as is the area around it, where the celebrated Miramar
Castle was erected on the rocky Carso promontory that leads to the sea. The Miramare Castle was known as
the summer residence of the Hapsburgs. Nearby there is a park and a WWF maritime oasis.
The city proposes interesting manifestations all year long; amongst the classic ones worth seeing are: The
International Festival of Operetta in July and August, and the Barcolana (in October), which is one of the most
spectacular regattas in Europe as it draws thousands of participating vessels.
