by Nina Vaclavikova
Interview: Maurizio Marzi, president Trieste Trasporti; Maurizio Giudici, president Federalberghi
A faithful full-scale replica of the Bathyscaphe Trieste, the pioneering submersible that made history by reaching the deepest point on Earth, will soon be unveiled in Trieste as part of a project celebrating the city’s scientific and cultural legacy.
The initiative, announced this week at Palazzo Gopcevich, is led by the city’s Department of Culture and Tourism in collaboration with the research group Mare NordEst. The replica will be presented to the public in Piazza Unità d’Italia during the Barcolana sailing regatta from Oct. 5 to Nov. 9, 2025. Afterward, it will be permanently housed at the Museo della Guerra per la Pace “Diego de Henriquez,” which is preparing a new section dedicated to the submersible.
The original Trieste earned international acclaim in 1960 when it descended 10,916 meters into the Mariana Trench, carrying Swiss oceanographer Jacques Piccard and U.S. Navy lieutenant Don Walsh. The record-setting dive not only captured global attention but also positioned Trieste as a hub of technological innovation.
The project was born from the vision of physicist Auguste Piccard and his son Jacques, but Trieste played a decisive role through Diego de Henriquez, a collector and advocate for the peaceful use of technology. Encouraging the Piccards to base their project in the city, he helped secure construction at the Cantieri Riuniti dell’Adriatico shipyards in Trieste and Monfalcone, with the pressurized cabin forged at Acciaierie Terni. For de Henriquez, the Trieste symbolized the potential for technology to be redirected from war toward knowledge and peace.
“This is a dream come true,” said Giorgio Rossi, the city’s councillor for culture and tourism, who described the replica as the first stage of a broader project to honor de Henriquez’s legacy. “It is a reflection on the determination of humankind, which must always be directed toward good rather than destruction.”
Stefano Bianchi, who oversees Trieste’s historical museums, noted that the project builds on years of commemorations, including exhibitions marking the 70th anniversary of the submersible’s first dive off Ponza in 1953 and the 50th anniversary of de Henriquez’s death in 2024. “This year, alongside the Barcolana, we will display the replica in Piazza Unità before transferring it permanently to the museum,” he said, adding that an accompanying documentary will premiere in January 2026.
The replica, constructed by the Bergamo-based firm M23 srl, is scheduled to arrive in Trieste on Sept. 29. Its public debut is planned for noon on Oct. 5.
The presentation was attended by city and regional officials, cultural leaders, and representatives of partner institutions, including Federalberghi Trieste, Trieste Trasporti, Fondazione CRTrieste, and Rolex. The event also included remarks from historian Enrico Halupca and a preview of a forthcoming documentary on the project by director Massimiliano Finazzer Flory.
A public launch event is planned later on Monday at the Sala Luttazzi in Trieste’s Porto Vecchio district.
