Crossroads to Trieste
Trieste is one of the most unique cities you can discover in Italy. Nestled between the sea, the mountains, Slovenia and the rest of Friuli Venezia Giulia, you feel in many places at the same time while discovering this Middle European gem of a city.
The area around Trieste has been inhabited since pre-roman times, and became one of the most important settlements in the area as a border town, as a site of famous battles, as a maritime giant and a place contested by big empires – from Venice to Napoleon to the Habsburgs, for which Trieste became it’s most important port and 4th largest city. Trieste was contested between Italy and Yugoslavia and even had a period as a free independent city under the protection of the UN. Now firmly Italian, the city’s historical influences can be found in the names of people and places around it, as well as the elegant buildings and monuments dotted throughout the city.
Trieste has a compact city centre surrounding the beautiful sprawling Piazza Unità d’Italia, with historical coffee houses, elegant shops and inspiring book stores. Towering over the city is Castel San Giusto with the nearby Cathedral, with which we felt a strong affinity as Enea Piccolomini was bishop before becoming Pope Pius II – the founder of Pienza one of the the places we love most here in Tuscany.
But Trieste is about sea and the mountains – always visible from any point, always inviting. Indeed in the summer it is possible to swim in the Gulf of Trieste, directly from one of the stabilimenti that dot the city: from the centre of town directly in the sea.
Whilst exploring Trieste, we discovered the sensational olive oils of the Parovel family. Cool climate, precise and distinctive, we are delighted to be working with the Bianchera cultivar and Elena Parovel.
Places to see: Piazza Unità d’Italia; the Trieste Cathedral, the waterfront
Top 3 things to do: wonder around the centre enjoying the spectacular baroque architecture; visit the literary cafes where local cultural legends Italo Svevo, Umberto Saba and James Joyce used to enjoy Trieste’s exquisite coffee; swim in the sea directly from the harbour