Coffee, lunch, museums, history and fashion

Friday May 31 was a mix of sun, cloud with some periods of rain.  High of 21C.  It seems an umbrella is mandatory this time of year, as a sudden thunderstorm with torrential rain can emerge in just a few minutes.

We decided to go to Antico Caffè San Marco, one of the historic Trieste coffeehouses, in operation since 1914. Trieste is Italy's uncontested coffee capital.  Even today, it is said that the city's inhabitants drink twice as much coffee on average as other Italians.  Illy is one notable coffee brand founded in Trieste.  Trieste even has its own coffee terminology: "Nero"=espresso and a macchiato is known as a "capo".

On the way to Caffé San Marco-- we passed many interesting buildings

Another beauty

Caffé San Marco became famous as a rendezvous spot for intellectuals and writers including Italo Svevo, James Joyce and Umberto Saba, a tradition that continues to this day.  The café was destroyed by Austro-Hungarian troops during WWI, but reopened when hostilities ended.  The interiors reflect the Vienna Secession style popular when the café was founded.  Italians campaigned to save the historic café in 2013, and it now incorporates a bookshop.

Inside the buzzy café

The original owner, Marco Lovrinovich, incorporated many details of his love for Venice, from the name of the café and the decorations with Venetian carnival masks.  In 2013, management changed hands and Alexandros Delithanassis, born in Trieste to a Greek family took up the challenge of returning San Marco to its former glory.  He also added the bookstore and the café now serves local food and wine.  

The bar

Details on the wall

Masks

When we were looking for a seat, someone waved us over to a table.  We started talking and it turned out that Daniel was from San Francisco, teaching communications at Stanford and in the process of writing a book.  He was just in Trieste for a few days before heading back to Spain where he is spending some time this year with his family.  It turned out he had also taken the Free Tour with Murad. Very small world.

Awaiting our coffee

The bookstore part

Interesting portraits

1914 on the door

It turned out we were all planning a short visit to the Jewish Community's Carlo and Vera Wagner Museum a short walk away.  We first went around the corner from Caffé San Marco to see the Synagogue which was inaugurated in 1912 and is a testament to Trieste's once significant Jewish community.  It is amongst the largest in Europe and has a number of architectural styles.  The exterior style was said to be late Roman of a type found in 4th century Syria. 

The synagogue was closed in 1942, following the race laws under the Italian fascist regime.  It was devastated by Italian fascist squads and later during the Nazi occupation, it was used as a storehouse for works of arts and books seized from Jews.  Ritual objects were preserved from plunder thanks to a secret hiding place in the synagogue.  It reopened after the war.  The Jewish population, which was only 1500 after WWII, has dwindled to just 600 today.

Outside of the Synagogue

Another side--- guarded by the army- only open for tours at specified times

We walked over to the Jewish Community's Carlo and Vera Wagner Museum.  It is located in an historic building where the Jewish Agency was once located.  In the early 1900s, the Agency assisted people emigrating to Palestine and the Americas.  There was a functioning synagogue in the building until 1987. Carlo Wagner (1902-1980 ) and his wife Vera Kreilsheim Wagner (1910-1984) descendants of families rooted in Split and Vienna, represented the cosmopolitan middle class of the Trieste area.  The Museum of the Jewish Community was founded in 1993 by Mario Stock and the only remaining Wagner daughter.    

Historic building

The exhibition covers over seven centuries of Jewish presence in the city.  On the ground floor are the medieval origins, the ghetto period, the acquisition of rights and the 1800s which saw the Community of the free port flourish.  There is a section on the promulgation of the race laws of 1938 and the Holocaust in Trieste.  There is also a display of the silver pieces that were used in the former synagogue. 

The patent granted by Maria Theresa of Austria in 1771 to the Jews of Trieste

Map of Jewish sites in Trieste

At the end of the 1600s, the local authorities demanded the creation of a ghetto which occurred in 1696.  Improvements came with Edicts of Tolerance granted by Emperor Joseph II who, following the patent granted by Maria Theresa in 1771, sanctioned gradual improvement which led to the closure of the ghetto in 1785.  Almost nothing remains of the ghetto itself.  The area was redesigned between 1934 and 1938, which demolished the houses and two large synagogue buildings. 

WWI- Jewish community divided between pro-Italianists and those loyal to Austria.
Artefacts and photos from WWI era.

In the years after WWI, the Italian Fascist regime spread. A number of Trieste Jews, mostly upper-middle class supported Italian fascism.  The Mayor of Trieste from 1933-38, was a Catholic whose paternal grandfather had been the head of the Jewish Community.   There were also a group of anti-fascist Jews that secretly formed.  There were also cases where Jews who initially supported fascism changed to the ideological opposite position.

Photo of Mussolini proclaiming the racial laws on September 18, 1938 in Trieste.

In August 1938, after the July publication of the Race Manifesto, a census of the Jewish population was carried out which counted 6,937 Jews of which 1,628 are foreigners.  With Mussolini's announcement of a racist policy, Jews were suddenly defined as enemies of fascism and banned from education, civil service and most businesses.  Jewish secondary schools were established as a response.  

Jewish schools after 1938

There were a number of stories about some of the victims of the Shoah as well as an excellent documentary in which two survivors described the impact of the racial laws and the occupation on their and their families lives.

Altogether 700 Trieste Jews were deported of whom only 30 or so survived.  The poor, the sick and the elderly were the most affected by the Shoah.

 

There was a vitrine of personal objects plundered from Jews between 1943-45, with labels indictating the estimates of their value given by the Nazis.  These were discovered by Allies at the end of WWII and sent to Rome where they were forgotten for decades.  In 2000, these items were returned to the Jewish Community of Trieste.  As it was impossible to trace their lawful owners, a number were displayed here and others donated to the Civic Museum

Alonso and Daniel at the exhibit

On the upper floor was a section on the contribution the Jews of Trieste have made to culture, the arts and the sciences.  There was one section on important Jewish writers (both women and men).

Italo Svevo (1861-1928)

Umberto Saba (1883-1957)

In front of the writers wall

The Museum was excellent- lots of physical objects, and excellent written commentary.  Well worth the visit.  There was also an area with some tombstones from the ancient Jewish cemetery on Via del Monte which dated back to 1446.  The cemetery was appropriated and replaced by the Park of Remembrance, which commemorates the victims of those who lost their lives in the wars of the 1900s.  In 1843, the right for a new Jewish cemetery in another part of town was granted.  It is also home to the gravestones of Rabbis from the 1700s and 1800s, some of which were moved from the previous site.

It was then time for lunch at Trattoria NerodiSeppia, recommended by our friend Nancy.  We had tried to get a dinner reservation but it was booked for the six nights we are in Trieste.  So following the Italian custom of having a main meal at lunch time, we decided to have lunch out and then have a light dinner at the apartment.  The restaurant was not too far from the Main Square.

Lovely small restaurant- full of mainly locals at lunch at 1:30 p.m.

Tasting our wine- I had a glass of white, Alonso had red. The wine has been excellent on our trip and we find it more economical to have a glass of wine for 3.50-5 euros rather than a bottle of water.  
Everyone in the restaurant was drinking wine.

I had black linguine with local cuttlefish, marjoram

Alonso had bigoli (long thick spaghetti) with anchovies, butter & sage, chives and pine nuts

It was a lovely meal and the service was great.  It is a family run restaurant which specializes in fish dishes.  Very reasonably priced and clearly very popular.

We walked down a nearby street and passed a tiny store called Chocolat, where they serve chocolate drinks.  As an aside, coffee is often served in Trieste with an accompanying small glass of chocolate.

Small shop with seating area outside

Our cold chocolate with coffee on top

Enjoying our treat- perfect after our lunch

Signage

We then wandered a bit more and decided to visit the Roman Theatre (Teatro Romano) which was built between the 1st and 2nd centuries AD.  

En route, we passed the James Joyce hotel on a narrow street nearby

First we walked by a Roman wall and then came to the amphitheatre.

Roman wall

Large amphiteatre

View from on high

Nearby was the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore.  Consecrated by the Jesuits in 1682, it is the only  baroque church in the city.  The large interior is divided into three naves, houses eight altars and contains a series of underground passageways.  The staircase leading up to the church was built in 1956.

Santa Maria Maggiore

Inside

Stained glass window

Going for baroque!

Sculpture in the area near the Roman theatre.

Marcello Mascherini, Dying Warrior (1960)

We stopped to check out the Caffé Stella Polare on the Grand Canal, a haunt of James Joyce (1882-1941) and his close friend Italo Svevo (born Aron Hector Schmitz) (1861-1928).  Joyce met Svevo in 1907, when Joyce tutored him in English while working for Berlitz in Trieste.  Svevo wrote a book called Zeno's Conscience and was also a model for Leopold Bloom, the protagonist of Joyce's Ulysses.

Outside Caffé Stella Polare-- still raining so no outdoor seating

Sign on side of building-- James Joyce and Italo Svevo hung out here (as well as other cafés)

Inside--- they were serving Illy coffee-- we decided to try one of the other historic cafés nearby for our afternoon coffee.

Just north of the Grand Canal is a wonderful confectionary and café called La Bomboniera, which was founded in 1836.  It had a small interior with just a few tables to have a coffee.  It had wonderful chocolate and other treats.

Outside of La Bomboniera--- too wet to eat outside

Getting ready to have coffee

Our espresso was served with small glasses of chocolate that one poured into the coffee.  We also ordered two pistachio cookies.

Lots of beautiful pastries

The shop-- service was excellent too--- a most enjoyable break

We then walked over to the Illy café, at one corner of the canal.  Daniel had mentioned that he had stopped outside the café on the Free Tour.  Lovely spot with a fabulous Illy cup chandelier.

The Illy bar area

Illy cup chandelier

I couldn't resist buying this limited edition cup "Foreigners Everywhere" made for this year's
Venice biennale (we almost considered a day trip there once we realized the biennale was on when we were in Italy- but not enough time, and one day would not have been sufficient)

It was then time for our late afternoon visit to the ITS Arcademy: Museum of Art in Fashion. ITS Arcademy is Italy's first contemporary fashion museum where visitors can explore fashion as a form of contemporary art.  ITS stands for International Talent Support.  The 'R' in Arcademy is a reference to an ark, also a reference the creative archive that ITS has amassed and "academy" for the education aspect of the Museum.  The Museum collection archives 14,840 creative project portfolios, 1100 garments, 165 accessories, 120 jewellery pieces and over 700 photographic works from emerging designers all over the world.

ITS Arcademy is on the 4th floor of an old bank building

There were two exhibits in the Museum: The Many Lives of a Garment, a poetic journey through our relationship with clothes with designs from the ITS Collection.  

Poster for the Exhibit

The second exhibit was entitled: Born to Create, which is dedicated to the works of the ITS Contest 2023/24 finalists and winners, selected by a panel of leading experts from over 750 entries worldwide.

The ITS Contest is an international award for emerging designers set up in Trieste in 2002 by Barbara Franchin.  It has become one of the world's leading platforms for design talent and instrumental in launching the careers of many designers. 

Poster for Born to Create

Reception

There was a short video introducing the work of ITS,  with a few pictures of creations by designers in the hallway.

The first room featured a number of designers with their influences.

There was then a series of rooms for The Many Lives of a Garment exhibit, currated by Olivier Maillard and Emanuele Coccia.  The exhibit follows a garment's existence before and after this exhibition.

The Fashion Museum Wardrobe

Now we're part of the exhibit too

The Fashion Showcase-- shop windows- a street museum

The Abandoned Garment-- we become curators of our garments display

The Garment Incarnate: doubles form the wardrobe of Charlotte Rampling and Tilda Swindon

The Fashionable Garment- becoming its own showcase

The Vulnerability of Clothing

The Visitors beside the display

The Lost Garment

The Garment on Display

There was then a large room with the finalists and winners of the 2023/24 ITS Contest as well as special projects developed in response to other contests by international brands. 

There was an explanation of the ITS contest which has five phases: Scouting, where they travel and meet students in design schools world wide.  Then the portfolios arrive--- they've received portfolios encased in blocks of ice or balloons filled with confetti.  They usually prepare a shortlist from over 1000 applications.  They then select the finalists.  The production phase is next, developing exhibition spaces, videos etc.  The final step is where the finalists come to Trieste to present their projects to an audience of industry experts, international press and a jury.   The finalists also meet each other.

We were given a ballot to vote for the People's Choice award from visitors to this exhibit. It is for a 5000 euro award.  There was an excellent audio outlining all the works and influences.

Ivan Delogu (Italian)- T'essere-from up-cycled garments, rooted in research on Sardinian society, particularly its matriarchal structure.

Chelsea Jean Lamm (German), Echoes of Eden,

Shanon Poupard, Into the Realms of the Real

There was one Canadian Finalist.

Daniel Bosco (Canadian), I asked God for a Baby. He sent me a Diamond.  A humorous gift of a condom by his boyfriend, prompted the designer to ponder the concept of personal value.

Eun Ji Oh (Belgian), Overweight.  Accessories collection.  She was born into a Korean family in Belgium.

Momoka Sato, (Japanese), Utopia on the Mountain Top.  Her grandmother died of Covid, forcing the designer to consisted the theme of death for the first time.  Her response was a collection that honours her grandmother and celebrates her craftsmanship.

Showcase of some of the pieces and video

More pieces

More winners and finalists

Through the window (and rain)- cut-outs across the way

We really enjoyed both exhibits-- amazing creativity and hard work.  The displays and videos and audios accompanying both exhibits provided a lot of context and descriptions of the works.  Once the exhibit is over, the People's Choice Award will be announced.  I signed up for their newsletter, so will find out who wins.

We walked back to our apartment- we are just a few blocks north of the Grand Canal--- a lovely walk.

Looking towards the Adriatic

Looking in the other direction

On the pedestrian street leading from the Canal to our street at the top of the photo

We always pass this beautiful church- it is an Evangelical Lutheran church.  One of the effects of the Free Port regime was a strong presence of German merchants in the city.  The church was consecrated in 1874.

We headed back to the apartment for a light dinner- omelet with zucchini and salami, green salad, a glass of wine, tea and strudel.  It was a very full day!!  Woke up in the early morning to see that "Babe" Schneider got a walk-off home run in the 14th inning for the struggling Jays. 

An extremely full day!