Trieste and San Giusto: history and legend in the heart of the city
The San Giusto hill overlooking Trieste isn’t just a great panoramic point: it is the real heart of the city. A place rich in history and legends, where the first inhabited town was built in Roman times and where according to tradition the patron saint of the same name was buried. To discover the roots of Trieste, in short, you have to start from here.
The history of the San Giusto hill in Trieste
As in many cities in history, also in Trieste the first inhabited center developed on a hill: close enough to the sea to allow commerce and movements, but in elevated position to guarantee a greater protection. The ancient Roman settlement of Tergeste, therefore, retains its roots on the San Giusto hill. Here survive the remains of a Greek propylaea – still visible inside the bell tower – and a first civil basilica, both of the first century AD.
Over time, as Trieste grew, the San Giusto hill remained central to the city’s public life and its most important buildings, such as castle and cathedral. The cathedral, in particular, was born from the union of two existing churches and is still today the main religious building of Trieste. Inside one of the two churches were the relics of San Giusto, patron saint of the city, who ended up giving his name to the cathedral and the whole area.
The legends of San Giusto
According to tradition, San Giusto was a Christian martyr thrown into the sea with weights tied to his body. Miraculously the ropes however melted, allowing the body to be carried to shore and buried by his faithful, warned in dream. As always happens, to this type of figures several legends are linked: there is who tells that in the stormy nights on the hill of San Giusto you can hear the sound of lead weights dragged along the street, while other – less frightening – stories tell that the water of the cathedral well have prodigious healing powers.
San Giusto is celebrated every year on November 3rd: if you happen to be in the area on this date do not forget to ask us for information at the reception of the DoubleTree by Hilton Trieste, as on the festive day many museums offer free or discounted access.
What to see in San Giusto
Today you can visit both the Castle of San Giusto, transformed into a museum, and the homonymous Cathedral which preserves beautiful mosaics from the Byzantine era. But above all: the San Giusto hill is a splendid panoramic point on the city of Trieste. Triestini and tourists often reach it in the evening, to enjoy the sunset, and in the summer it is animated with events, outdoor concerts and aperitifs on the Venetian Bastion that make it one of the most popular places of the city.
If you can, do not miss the experience of climbing to San Giusto on foot: from the center you will take the Giants’ Staircase, one of the most special – and Instagram-friendly – places in Trieste, before crossing the Park of Remembrance. The energies spent will then be amply rewarded by the view, that embraces the entire Gulf of Trieste.
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