by Nina Vaclavikova
Interviews: Roberto Dipiazza – Mayor of Trieste; Elisa Lodi – City Councilor for Property Management and Sports; Marco Lo Duca – Son of Professor Giuseppe Lo Duca, representing the family
The renovated gymnasium at the Caprin Middle School honors the coach who helped shape generations of athletes and led Trieste to 17 Italian handball championships.
The gymnasium at the G. Caprin Middle School in Trieste has been named in honor of Giuseppe Lo Duca, a prominent figure in the city’s sporting history and a pioneer of Italian handball.
A commemorative plaque bearing the inscription “To Professor Giuseppe Lo Duca, Master of Sport, Educator of Generations, Father of Handball” was unveiled during a ceremony attended by Mayor Roberto Dipiazza, members of Lo Duca’s family, city officials and representatives of Pallamano Trieste 1907.
Lo Duca’s daughter, Martina, joined the mayor in unveiling the plaque. His son, Marco, and grandson, Giacomo, were also present, along with members of the handball club and former players from the team coached by Lo Duca, which won 17 Italian national championships. The club was represented by sporting director Giorgio Oveglia.
The ceremony also marked the reopening of the school’s recently renovated gymnasium, where physical education classes are scheduled to resume.
Mayor Dipiazza described Lo Duca as an extraordinary figure who had made a lasting contribution to Trieste, welcoming the decision to commemorate him in a facility that has itself undergone extensive renovation.
Elisa Lodi, the city’s councilor for property and sports, said the dedication recognized Lo Duca’s contribution not only to handball but also to generations of young people who learned the sport under his guidance.
The choice of the Caprin school was particularly significant, she said, because Lo Duca had taught there and introduced students to handball. Lodi also expressed hope that the gymnasium could host introductory handball courses in the afternoons, allowing more young people to discover the sport.
The school is part of the Valmaura comprehensive institute, whose principal, Mauro Dellore, attended the ceremony.
The full return of classes to the renovated facility is expected to be marked by a larger celebration after the Christmas holidays.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Marco Lo Duca said the recognition was deeply moving and particularly meaningful because of his father’s connection to the school.
It was there, he recalled, that his father achieved some of his earliest successes and where he himself, along with many members of the championship-winning team, first began playing handball.
He thanked the Municipality of Trieste for preserving his father’s memory in a place that had played such an important role in his life and career.
