Trieste, Italy: Guided by the muse

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This was published 9 years ago

Trieste, Italy: Guided by the muse

By Caroline Gladstone
Adriatic opulence: Boats moored on Canal Grande.

Adriatic opulence: Boats moored on Canal Grande.

A fusion of cultures has shaped this fabulous Italian city, writes Caroline Gladstone.

Trieste was never on my radar until my niece told me how beautiful it was. She and her fiance were there on a pilgrimage of sorts, seeking out the museum and locations where Irish novelist James Joyce spent 15 years of his life. Her Irish fiance (now husband), Andrew Joyce, is related to the acclaimed writer, and that was a pretty good reason to go.

Personally, I will never forgive Joyce, the novelist, for A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, which he wrote in Trieste and I read in first-year uni. Its depictions of hell still put the fear of god into me. The city acted as his muse, and he penned or envisaged his greatest works there, yet his novels are nonetheless all set in Ireland.

Miramare castle.

Miramare castle.

Trieste bears no resemblance to Ireland, and very little to Italy, despite Venice being just two hours away.

Virtually on the doorstep of Slovenia to the east and just 100 kilometres shy of the Austrian border, Trieste was part of the powerful Austrian-Hungarian Empire for 530 years, until Italy annexed it just after World War II.

In the 19th century it rose to become one of the largest cities in the Empire, and at every turn are sumptuous buildings that could have come from Vienna, Prague or Budapest.

I sense that enticing cosmopolitanism as my ship sails into port on a bright summer's morning. Arriving by sea seems fitting for this Adriatic city, once considered the "emporium of Europe" as the wealthiest port of the otherwise landlocked Habsburg Empire.

The huge main square - Piazza Unita d'Italia - beckons, and our ship pulls up within 100 metres of this enormous space, edged with neo-classical and art nouveau buildings on three sides, and the fourth opening to the sea. The most striking of these is Palazzo del Municipio (the town hall) with a clock tower and statues; another, the opulent former headquarters of the famous shipping line Lloyd Triestino, has stood at the docks since 1883.

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From my lofty position on deck I can see over the town hall and up to the city's highest point, Capitoline Hill, where the mediaeval Cathedral of San Giusto (St Justus) and the castle of the same name stand. A palpable treasure trove, this is also the site of a ruined Roman forum and 1BC basilica. I plan to visit that in the afternoon.

I have only a handful of hours to make the most of Trieste before returning to take a seat in the square for the evening christening ceremony of my ship, Costa Favolosa.

I hop on one of the ferries that run services in the summer and head a few kilometres west to the Castle of Miramare, a perfect study in fairytale fantasy. Here in 1860, Austrian architect Carl Junker gave full flight to his imagination, combining gothic, mediaeval and renaissance styles to create an imperial residence for Archduke Maximilian of Habsburg (brother of the reigning emperor, Franz Joseph) and his wife, Charlotte of Belgium.

Set on a promontory and surrounded by gardens, its white whimsical beauty belies the tragic lives of its owners and its later history. Maximilian had barely settled in when he was urged by Napoleon III to move to Mexico and take up the role of emperor of that country's second republic. Austria's interference was not welcomed by all, and Maximilian was executed a few years later by loyal Mexican republicans.

Charlotte returned to Miramare and went "mad with grief". The castle fell into disrepair in the 1920s and during War World II was taken over by the Nazis. Today, a state-run museum, it is beautifully restored and displays such treasures as Maximilian's ornate four-poster bed, gifted by Pope Pius IX but never slept in.

On the ferry back I'm intrigued by the many bathing pavilions lining the shore. The Gulf of Trieste has few sandy beaches, so when the local Triestini want to soak up the sun and swim they head to one of these brightly coloured kiosk and changing room complexes, most with stairs leading straight into the sea.

The most unusual is El Pedocin, a kilometre from town, and the only segregated bathing area in Europe. A legacy from the Austro-Hungarian era, men and women (with children under 12) are separated by a concrete wall down the middle of the rocky shore, although they can be united once they're swimming.

Another curiosity is Trieste's Canal Grande. While hardly a rival to Venice's great waterway, its history as an 18th-century inlet where sailing ships transported their supplies right to the merchants' doors is a fascinating glimpse at this important trade city. Grand buildings, waterside cafes and ornate lamp-posts line both sides of the canal. The Ponterosso (red bridge) crosses it, and here stands a statue of James Joyce, who lived in a nearby apartment at one stage of his sojourn.

Trieste is an infinitely walkable city, with even the trek up to the castle and cathedral not particularly arduous on a hot summer's afternoon. On the way up there's a Roman amphitheatre to poke around in, and on the way down, take another route and discover the Roman arch (Arco di Riccardo).

As a history-lover I yearned to spend more time in this border city, which has been settled, invaded and endowed with wealth over many centuries. But as a cruise passenger, I am heading out in the dead of night. I would like to linger over coffee in one of the historic Viennese-style cafes; perhaps drop into the Caffe Pasticceria Pirona, where Joyce drank wine and scribbled away at those tomes.

But the cruise ship christening is a fabulous send-off, beautifully orchestrated to combine the city's stunning Habsburg architecture with the drama and pageantry that the Italians do with such panache.

The writer travelled as a guest of Costa Cruises.

TRIP NOTES

GETTING THERE

Several carriers fly daily to Italy. Those with good connections are Singapore Airlines, with flights to Milan and then a flight or train to Trieste; and Emirates, with flights to Venice, then a train to Trieste. See Singaporeair.com; emirates.com. Trains from Venice (Mestre Station) depart regularly and take two hours. Trains from Milan Central take about 4.5 hours. See trenitalia.com

CRUISING THERE

Costa Cruises will operate a season of seven-night round trip cruises from Trieste aboard Costa Mediterranea in 2015 (from April to October) calling at various ports including Bari, Corfu, Mykonos, Santorini, Split and Kotor, depending on the itinerary. Fares from $1008). See costacruisesasia.com Cunard's Queen Victoria and Regent Seven Seas' ship Seven Seas Mariner will both offer cruises that either begin or call at Trieste in July 2015. See cunardline.com;rssc.com.

STAYING THERE

Hotel James Joyce has 15 rooms and occupies a late 18th century building near Piazza Unita d'Italia. Rates from $67 a room a night. Seehoteljamesjoyce.com/en.

DINING THERE

Historic cafes include Caffee Pasticcera Pirona; Largo della Barriera, Vecchia; Caffe Tommaseo, Trieste's oldest is Piazza Nicolo Tommaseo, near Theatre Verdi. See caffetommaseo.com

SEE + DO

Take the funicular-tram to the plateau town of Opicina for stunning views. See tramdeopcina.it/tram. Explore the UNESCO site of Aquileia, a Roman city dating to 181BC. Situated 30 kilometres from Trieste, it is reached via train to Cervignano and then bus. See aquileia.it. Ferry or bus to the castle of Duino, about 25 kilometres away. This princely residence on the cliffs overlooking the Gulf of Trieste dates from the 15th century. See turismofvg.it/en

MORE INFORMATION

italia.it; turismofvg.it.

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