by Nina Vaclavikova
Interview: Michele Babuder, Councillor for Territorial Policies, Gianfranco Paliaga, project coordinator and curator
The city of Trieste opened a new exhibition this week to mark the 150th anniversary of its City Hall, a landmark building overlooking Piazza Unità d’Italia that has long stood as the symbolic heart of municipal life.
The show, titled “Il Palazzo Municipale di Trieste. Genesi di un edificio, nascita di una piazza. 1875–2025” (“The Municipal Palace of Trieste. Genesis of a Building, Birth of a Square. 1875–2025”), was inaugurated in the Sala Comunale d’Arte in Piazza Unità. Officials in attendance included Michele Babuder, Councillor for Territorial Policies, City Council President Francesco Di Paola Panteca, and archivists Gianfranco Paliaga and Adelio Paladini, who curated the project.
Mr. Babuder, speaking on behalf of the mayor, who was absent due to official commitments, emphasized the role of the municipal drawing archive in preserving the city’s architectural memory. “It is a treasure chest of technical drawings that reveal Trieste’s urban and architectural development,” he said, noting that both scholars and visitors are increasingly drawn to these historical records.
Mr. Panteca, the City Council president, underlined the civic importance of the initiative. “Through knowledge, we can better understand our past and, in doing so, build a better future,” he said, adding that such occasions also highlight the work of public institutions and the people who serve within them.
The exhibition follows last year’s presentation dedicated to the 130th anniversary of Trieste’s Central Post Office, also organized by the city’s Technical Drawing Archive. This new project turns its focus to the construction of City Hall, designed by architect Giuseppe Bruni and inaugurated in 1875, at a time when the square itself was undergoing major transformation.
On display are original technical drawings, archival documents, and period photographs tracing the evolution of Piazza Unità and its relationship with the new City Hall. The materials span early 19th-century proposals for the square through the building’s completion in 1876, illustrating pivotal changes such as the filling of the Mandracchio harbor in 1863, the demolition of the 15th-century Church of San Pietro in 1871, and the construction of neighboring buildings including the Palazzo Modello in 1872.
The exhibition also explores elements that became part of local lore, from the building’s early nickname “palazzo cheba” (“the cage”) to its automaton figures Mikez and Jakez, the clock and bell tower, and the Council Chamber.
Visitors will have the chance to view several materials for the first time, many drawn from municipal and national archives. The show runs in preview on September 23 and 24, and will reopen to the public from September 28 through October 20, 2025. Admission is free, with bilingual summaries and commemorative postcards available at the entrance.
