Bersagliere

3 November 1918 - the Bersaglieri (motorised infantry) disembark in Trieste.

The Bersaglieri are recognized by the distinctive wide brimmed hat that they wear (only in dress uniform in modern times), decorated with black capercaillie feathers. The feathers are usually applied to their combat helmets. Another distinctive trait of the Bersaglieri is the fast jog pace they keep on parades, instead of marching (wiki).

Faro della Vittoria (3)

At the top stands the magnificent copper statue of Victory, by sculptor Giovanni Mayer. It weighs about 7 tonnes and is 8.6m tall.


The wings have holes in them to stop the Bora wind blowing the statue off.

Faro della Vittoria (2)

The lighthouse seen face on: you can make out the impressive figure of the sailor (7.2m tall) by Giovanni Mayer, which was created using 100 tonnes of Orsera stone. The anchor of the torpedo-boat destroyer Audace (the first Italian ship to sail into Trieste port on November 3rd 1918) hangs under the lighthouse. The only detail in focus is the anchor chain.

Tomorrow I'll show you what there is at the top.

The importance of symbols (2)

The Victoria Lighthouse, built between 1923 and 1927 to the design of Triestine architect Arduino Berlan, (1880-1946), not only guides the boats during the night but is also a commemorative monument dedicated to the sailors who died in World War I.

The symbolic lighthouse was built on top of the Austrian fortification Kressich, using one of its bastions as its base. Once again symbols glorifying Trieste's Italianism have replaced Austrian ones.

The fortification. built in 1854, was an impregnable military structure, with cannon ports, a large moat and drawbridge, and invulnerable underground chambers, which, at fifty metres above sea level, could not be hit by naval artillery.

Fountain of the four continents

Piazza Unità d'Italia is Trieste's main square, which opens up onto the Gulf of Trieste and is surrounded by palazzi and public offices. This rectangular-shaped square is the largest waterfront square in Europe (there are few others directly overlooking the sea, another very famous one is Trade Square in Lisbon.) It hosts numerous events, performances and concerts, and is a favourite meetingplace for Triestines.

At the centre of the Piazza is the Fontana dei Quattro Continenti (1751). The fountain was built to represent Trieste as a city of prosperity, thanks to its establishment as a Free Port by Charles VI and Maria Theresa of Austria's policy for developing the city.

The world is represented by four allegorical statues which recall the features of the people populating the four continents known at that time (Europe, Asia, Africa and America). In recent years, the fountain has been a victim of acts of vandalism which have damaged three of its four statues. Only Europe has been spared. The latest episode dates back to May 2008, when the statue representing Africa was decapitated and its head left lying on its body.

Melon

Together with the alabarda of San Sergio, the so-called "melon" is a traditional symbol of the city of Trieste and both were originally placed on the tower bell of the San Giusto Cathedral till 1421 when the tower was seriously damaged by lightening.

The Melon is an acroterion (a sculpted decorative feature mounted at the apex of the plinth of a building) in sandstone, modelled in twelve segments, hence its name, and it is surmounted by a copy of the alabarda of San Sergio.

In 1422 the melon was taken down and the bell tower was replaced with a flattened-pyramid-shaped tiled roof. From that day on, the Melon began its pilgrimage. It has been placed on a roadside, exhibited in a museum, showcased in a niche and also inside in building.

It has now been restored and can be admired at the entrance of the San Giusto castle.

Giovannin

This statue of a putto is part of a fountain (1753 – Mazzoleni) situated in piazza Ponterosso. The putto is familiarly known as Giovannin de Ponterosso (Little John), as the water in the fountain comes from the San Giovanni (Saint John) district.

The flower, fruit and vegetable market sellers to this day still fondly adorn it with fresh flowers each year on June 24th, Saint John's day.
It was shrouded in black mourning veils on the day of Umberto I of Savoy's assassination, which took place in Monza on July 29th 1900.