by Nina Vaclavikova
Interviews: Elisa Lodi, Councilor for Real Estate Heritage and Sports; Maurizio De Blasio, Councilor for Education and Schools
A former military site in Trieste’s San Giovanni district has been redeveloped into a new early childhood education hub, city officials announced on Wednesday.
Located on Via alle Cave, the project includes two newly completed nurseries designed for children aged 0 to 3, with capacity for more than 120 children. The facilities were built with a total investment of €6 million, funded through a combination of national resources and the European Union’s recovery program.
The area, once home to the “Felice Chiarle” barracks, has been gradually repurposed over the years. The barracks were demolished starting in 2020, following earlier efforts to adapt the site for educational use. A preschool, “Nuvola Olga–Oblak Niko,” opened there in 2017 and serves both Italian- and Slovene-speaking families.
The two new buildings meet current safety and design standards and include spaces tailored to early childhood education. One nursery was completed within the timeline set by the European recovery plan, while the other was finished ahead of schedule using state funding.
City officials said the project is part of a broader strategy to expand access to childcare services. However, a planned expansion of the existing preschool has been delayed due to issues with a contractor selected through a national tender process. The city has terminated the contract and is seeking new funding to complete the work, with the goal of restarting construction in the coming months.
Further developments are expected in the Roiano district, where another nursery is nearing completion of administrative procedures before opening.
