by Nina Vaclavikova
Interview: Maurizio Eliseo, historian and curator
The exhibition I cavalieri dei Mari (Knights of the Seas), curated by maritime historian Maurizio Eliseo, opened this afternoon in the Sala Nathan of Magazzino 26 in Porto Vecchio–Porto Vivo. The event was attended by Trieste’s Councillor for Culture and Tourism, Giorgio Rossi, and the Director of the city’s Scientific Museums, Patrizia Fasolato.
The exhibition, dedicated to the history of great European shipbuilding and Italy’s contributions to the maritime industry, was presented earlier in the day during a press conference.
“The curatorship of Maurizio Eliseo is a guarantee of professionalism,” Councillor Rossi said at the opening. “Knights of the Seas is a high-level exhibition that fits into a broader, coherent vision on which the municipal administration is focused.”
Rossi described Magazzino 26 itself as “a kind of ocean liner of culture,” housing the Museo del Mare (Maritime Museum) in its north wing and soon a new section dedicated to the Lloyd Triestino shipping company. He explained that these spaces form part of a larger municipal plan to merge the Maritime Museum and the Museum of Natural History into a single scientific hub.
Together with the nearby Generali Convention Center, these cultural venues are central to the city’s long-term urban regeneration project for the historic port area, Porto Vecchio–Porto Vivo. The initiative aims to restore the area’s historical significance as an economic and cultural engine of Trieste, as evidenced by its landmarks such as the Hydrodynamic Power Station and the Electric Substation.
Rossi also referred to the Batiscafo Trieste project — a replica of the historic bathyscaphe that reached record depths in 1960 — which will be displayed in Piazza Unità during the Barcolana regatta before being moved to the Diego de Henriquez War for Peace Civic Museum.
“In this context,” Rossi added, “the exhibition gains even more value, celebrating a tradition in which Trieste has always played a leading role.”
The exhibition I cavalieri dei Mari is now open to the public at Magazzino 26 in Porto Vecchio–Porto Vivo.
