by InTrieste
Along the Adriatic waterfront, where seaplanes once skimmed the water’s surface, this northeastern Italian city is looking back at a pivotal moment in aviation history. One hundred years ago, on April 1, 1926, Italy’s first commercial flight departed on the Turin–Trieste route, signaling the dawn of organized civilian air travel in the country.
To commemorate the centennial, Trieste is hosting a historical photography exhibition and a conference that explore the origins and evolution of Italian civil aviation. The exhibition, titled “Celebration of the First Italian Commercial Flight Turin–Trieste 1926,” opens this week at Sala Arturo Fittke and runs on select dates through April 8. Admission is free.
The show is the first event in a broader program known as “@mareinvolo,” organized by Mare Nordest in collaboration with the Nautical Institute of Trieste. Together, the initiatives aim to symbolically transform the city into a “commemorative seaplane base,” recalling Trieste’s early role as a hub of aeronautical innovation.
That role dates back to the early 1920s, when the Cosulich shipping family began experimenting with seaplanes as a new mode of transport. Their efforts led to the founding, in 1922, of the Società Italiana Servizi Aerei (S.I.S.A.), Italy’s first commercial passenger airline and a pioneer in scheduled air service. Four years later, the inaugural flight between Trieste and Turin marked a turning point, opening new possibilities for the transport of both passengers and goods.
The exhibition traces this trajectory through archival images and documents, from S.I.S.A.’s founding to its record-setting flights and eventual decline in the 1930s, followed by later attempts at revival. Notably, the display has been curated and installed by students from the institute’s aeronautical section, working alongside members of a local historical association. Their involvement lends the project an educational dimension that extends beyond commemoration.
Visitors are welcomed by the students themselves, who also offer guided tours upon request.
The centennial events also include a conference held at Villa Italia, a military cultural center in Trieste. Titled “The Seaplane: 100 Years of Italian Commercial Aviation,” the gathering brings together academics and industry experts to examine the development of air transport, as well as the potential future of amphibious aviation.
Among the speakers are Gregory Alegi, a professor specializing in aviation history; Gen. Antonio Urbano, who addresses the use of seaplanes in firefighting operations; and Massimiliano Pinucci, a design scholar focusing on sustainable mobility. They are joined by international contributors, including representatives from Swiss and American aviation firms, reflecting a continued global interest in seaplane technology.
Following the conference, the exhibition will be formally inaugurated at Sala Arturo Fittke.
The “@mareinvolo” program will continue in May with additional events, including a concert hosted at the Trieste harbor master’s office — now located on the site of the former seaplane base — featuring students from the Giuseppe Tartini Conservatory. Further activities are planned as part of the Mare Nordest village, scheduled to take place in Piazza dell’Unità d’Italia from May 28 to 31.
A century after that first flight, Trieste’s commemoration underscores a lesser-known chapter of aviation history — one rooted not only in technological ambition, but also in the maritime identity of a city where sea and sky have long converged.
