by InTrieste
As part of the exhibition “Tolkien. Uomo, Professore, Autore” currently on view at the Salone degli Incanti through Jan. 11, 2026, the city will welcome naturalist Nicola Bressi on Wednesday for a discussion examining the persistence of animal-related legends in contemporary culture.
The event, titled “Animali da leggenda… metropolitana” (“Animals of Urban Legend”), will take place Oct. 29 at 5:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Salone degli Incanti and is organized by the Civic Historical, Artistic and Scientific Museums of Trieste.
Although tales about mysterious and fearsome creatures often evoke ancient folklore, Bressi argues that similar myths continue to thrive today — sometimes shaped by social media. Stories about bats getting tangled in hair, snakes drinking milk and wolves supposedly reproduced in captivity for release into the wild are among the narratives that endure, despite limited evidence to support them.
The talk will explore what is factual and what is fiction in these modern “urban legends,” offering context on how such myths form and spread.
Admission is free, subject to availability.
