Piazza Unità d'Italia, Main square at the waterfront in Trieste, Italy.
Piazza Unità d'Italia is a large rectangular square by the sea in the center of Trieste, stretching over roughly 12,000 square meters and surrounded by tall buildings from the 1800s. One side opens directly onto the Adriatic, while the other three are lined with palaces and government structures featuring pale stone fronts and arched walkways.
The square took shape in the early 1800s under Austrian rule and was originally called Piazza Grande before being renamed several times. After the Second World War it received its current name in 1955, when the city definitively became part of Italy and the postwar order in this border region was settled.
The buildings around the square display symbols from the time when this city served as a port for the Austro-Hungarian Empire, with lions, eagles, and inscriptions still visible on their fronts. Today, locals sit on the steps or in the cafes along the edges, meeting for conversation or simply watching the waves roll in from the open sea.
The square is open at all times and offers access from all sides, with the sea side leading directly to the waterfront. The wide, flat surface is easy to walk on and can feel breezy when the wind comes off the water.
The side facing the sea has no building at all, which is rare for historic city squares in Europe and allows an open view straight to the waves. On clear days you can see across to the Slovenian coast, which lies just a few kilometers away.
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