Trieste has no stand-out sights, no must-see sights. Its enchantment is subtler, extra discreet. The journey author Jan Morris captured its cryptic aura in her melancholy memoir, Trieste and the That means of Nowhere. James Joyce, who spent a decade right here, relished its understated allure.

The positioning that sums up Trieste’s moody atmosphere is Miramare, a fairy-tale fortress on a rocky promontory, battered by the stressed sea. It was constructed by Maximilian, child brother of the Austrian Emperor, Franz Joseph, however he barely spent a yr right here earlier than he was whisked away to turn out to be the Emperor of Mexico. His quixotic empire was overthrown, and the republican rebels had him shot by firing squad. Right this moment his forsaken folly is a museum, a monument to Habsburg hubris. It’s imagined to be dangerous luck to spend the evening right here. A number of subsequent inhabitants additionally met violent ends.

I completed up again the place I’d begun, on Mount Giusto, excessive above the town. Most vacationers make the hike to see the fortress and the cathedral, however I’d come to see the mausoleum of Johann Joachim Winckelmann (1717-1768), the daddy of contemporary archaeology. Winckelmann wasn’t from Trieste – he’d merely come right here to catch a ship to Rome – however whereas he was right here, he befriended a younger man referred to as Francesco Arcangeli who murdered him (for what motive, no-one is aware of). Winckelmann was buried within the cathedral throughout the street. Arcangeli was damaged on the wheel within the metropolis sq. under.

This sinister story encapsulates what I like about Trieste. In all places you go on this elusive metropolis, you’re stepping on layer upon layer of historical past – a few of it recorded, a lot of it unknown. As I walked again to the harbour, previous the Roman amphitheatre, I recalled one thing Jan Morris wrote in Trieste and the That means of Nowhere: “Right here, greater than wherever, I bear in mind misplaced instances, misplaced possibilities, misplaced pals.” Because the night ferry carried me away, and Trieste shrank into the ocean, her phrases had been nonetheless ringing in my ears.

The place to remain

I used to be a visitor of Tivoli Portopiccolo Sistiana (www.tivolihotels.com). Doubles from €300 per evening, together with breakfast. The room charge contains use of the stylish seashore membership. The home type is worldwide somewhat than Italian. Your entire resort is car-free (there’s a big underground storage). There are a number of eating places on web site, within the resort and the encompassing improvement. One of the best meals I ate by far was within the seashore membership restaurant. It’s a great spot if you need seclusion, or when you’re travelling with kids.