by InTrieste
Twenty-five years after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Americans living in Italy’s northeastern region of Friuli Venezia Giulia say the memories remain vivid, even as time has transformed the meaning of that day.
Today, approximately 5,031 U.S. citizens hold official residence permits in Friuli Venezia Giulia, according to data from the Italian Ministry of Labor and Social Policies. While only dozens to a few hundred are believed to live in Trieste itself, they form part of a small but active international community that includes scientists, maritime professionals, retirees, remote workers and families with ties to Italy.
For many, the anniversary is less about the images replayed each year than about recognizing how profoundly the attacks reshaped the world.
Erin, originally from California and a resident of Trieste for the past 12 years, said she did not fully understand the historical weight of the moment while it was unfolding.
“I never realized at the time how much it would change the world irreversibly,” she said. “I moved to New York six years later, and hearing the stories from people who lived through it firsthand made it much more real.”
Maria, who grew up near Washington, D.C., remembers the sudden silence that fell over her school.
“All our classes were interrupted, and every television was turned on,” she recalled. “We were glued to the news. Many students were panicking because we were so close to D.C. It’s hard to believe it’s been 25 years because it still feels incredibly real.”
Victor, originally from Florida and living in Trieste for the past five years, was a college student on the morning of the attacks. He remembers how ordinary the day seemed before everything changed.
“I was about to go to a college poetry class, and the professor decided to continue with the lecture despite all the rumors we were hearing,” he said. “When we got out of class, the whole campus was different. Everybody was in shock and was trying to figure out what had happened.”
He and a group of classmates gathered at a nearby friend’s house, where they spent hours watching television coverage in disbelief.
“This is one of the reasons I became interested in the work I eventually did,” Victor said. “I got to see the culture of law enforcement change and become much more integrated because of the fallout and failures of 9/11.”
Reflecting on the anniversary today, Victor said the lessons of Sept. 11 remain relevant as security threats continue to evolve.
“It’s still a sad day, but the threat hasn’t disappeared,” he said. “Governments and agencies will need to keep adapting to new technologies and new ways people communicate and become inspired in order to counter those threats effectively.”
For Jennifer, who lives outside Udine, the tragedy remains deeply personal through the experiences of those around her.
“I know people who lost friends that day,” she said. “It was a horrible, heartbreaking day for the whole nation, and we’ve never really forgotten it.”
Jim, whose family recently relocated to the Pordenone area, was in middle school on Sept. 11.
“I couldn’t really grasp the horror of what was happening,” he said. “We definitely lived through some scary times.”
Looking back as an adult, he said he now understands how the attacks shaped the years that followed for his generation.
Though separated from the United States by an ocean, many Americans in Friuli Venezia Giulia say Sept. 11 remains a defining moment in their lives. Twenty-five years later, the anniversary continues to evoke not only memories of loss, but reflections on how a single day altered lives, institutions and the course of history.
