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Nestled between the sea and the karst plateau, Trieste sits perched at the far end of its wide gulf, enjoying a secluded position while at the same time standing as a historic crossroads of peoples and cultures. Celebrated and loved by some of the greatest writers of the 20th century – Umberto Saba, James Joyce and Italo Svevo – the city welcomes visitors with Habsburg elegance in Piazza Unità d'Italia (Unity of Italy Square), scenographically framed by Molo Audace and Molo dei Bersaglieri. Behind the square, San Giusto Hill is the site where over 2000 years ago the Romans laid the first stone of the colony of Tergeste. At the foot of the hill stretches the Old Town, with the ancient ghetto and Cavana, an area of early urban development. Once lined with cheap brothels frequented by ship crews at anchor, it is now a prestigious pedestrian district.
Along the seafront, opposite Piazza Unità d'Italia, runs the ribbon of the Rive of Trieste, which outlines the New Town, largely neoclassical in appearance. Just north of the square, Maria Theresa of Austria spearheaded the land reclamation and major urban development project that, at the end of the 18th century, made possible the construction of the Borgo Teresiano, crossed by the Canal Grande. Behind it lies the Borgo Franceschino, while to the south of the square the Borgo Giuseppino stretches as far as the Lanterna Lighthouse.
In the distance, on the rocky promontory of Grignano, the romantic Miramare Castle marks the far end of the Barcola Waterfront, the seaside suburb north of the city centre where people go to watch the sunset.
Province of Trieste, Italy
