by Nina Vaclavikova
Interview: Elisa Lodi, city councilor for sport and public works
A new documentary chronicling more than a century of soccer in Trieste and the surrounding Giulian and Isonzo territories was presented this week at City Hall. Titled “Storia centenaria del calcio triestino e giuliano dalla Serie A ai dilettanti” (“A Hundred-Year History of Triestine and Julian Soccer: From Serie A to the Amateurs”), the four-hour film traces the evolution of the sport from its early clubs to the present day.
The project, produced by filmmaker Dario Roccavini in collaboration with writer and sports commentator Bruno Gasperutti, compiles archival images and historical footage to depict season-by-season developments in the region’s soccer landscape, spanning from the early 20th century through the 2024–25 season.
At the presentation, Elisa Lodi, Trieste’s Councillor for Sports, thanked the authors for preserving a legacy she described as central to the city’s cultural identity. “This is an important heritage for Trieste,” she said, adding that the work will be made available at the local office of the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) and in a municipal library.
The film begins with the foundation of Trieste’s earliest clubs, such as Edera (1904) and Ponziana (1912), before following the creation of Triestina in 1918. It also highlights other teams across the Venezia Giulia region, including clubs from Rijeka (then Fiume), Pula and Monfalcone, tracing their participation in Italy’s top leagues during the interwar years.
Key episodes include Triestina’s presence in Serie A during the 1930s and 1940s, its second-place finish in 1947–48, and its relegation in 1959. The documentary also revisits local rivalries such as the Triestina-Ponziana derbies of the 1970s, as well as the promotions, setbacks and rebirths of teams in Gorizia, Monfalcone, Gradisca and neighborhood clubs in Trieste.
“This was a monumental task,” Mr. Roccavini said. “We gathered an enormous amount of material. Thanks to Mr. Gasperutti’s research on the amateur leagues, we were able to create a documentary that covers more than a hundred years of history. As always, I did this out of passion, not for profit, and I wanted to make it available to the city.”
Mr. Gasperutti said his contribution began with the 1920 third-division championships, expanding to cover grassroots clubs whose stories, he argued, deserved to be preserved alongside the professional game.
The documentary will be screened in two parts at Sala Luttazzi in Porto Vecchio: the first on Sept. 23, covering 1900 to 1970, and the second on Sept. 30, covering 1971 to 2025. Admission will be free until seats are filled.
After the public screenings, the film will be archived at CONI Trieste and in a city library, joining Mr. Roccavini’s other historical sports documentaries, where it will remain available for consultation by appointment.
