The Squares of Trieste
Spectacular and vibrant, each with a story to tell, the squares of Trieste are home to people day and night, for chatting, having a coffee and taking a stroll, a typical pastime to meet people or get noticed. Coffee is a ritual in Trieste’s historic and newest cafés.
Piazza dell’Unità d’Italia
A tour of the squares in the historic center starts with Piazza dell’Unità d’Italia. Iconic, celebrated as the largest seafront square in Europe, the view of the blue sea on one side and the white stone buildings framing the always enchants.
A stage to events that changed the world in the first half of the 1900s: In July 1914, the bodies of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were brought here. They were assassinated in Sarajevo, an event that sparked the First World War; in November 1918 the population welcomed the members of the Italian rifle regiment from the Audace destroyer, the first Italian ship to land in the city at the end of the world war; in September 1938 Mussolini proclaimed his racial laws against the Jews and in 1954 the square celebrated reclaiming Trieste after the Second World War.
Today, piazza Unità is a lively place that welcomes locals and tourists alike, as well as hosting events, concerts and festivals that attract large crowds. The historic buildings surrounding the square, built between the 18th and 20th centuries, house public institutions with people always coming and going, while street artists perform around the Fountain of Four Continents and from the clock tower, Michez and Jachez who have been striking the hours for over one hundred years.
Stopping by the Caffè degli Specchi is a must to experience the Mitteleuropean atmosphere that still imbues the historic café today.