by Maximiliano Crocamo
Interviews: FVG governor, Massimiliano Fedriga; Trieste mayor, Roberto Dipiazza
Trieste opened its holiday season on Friday evening with the annual lighting ceremony in Piazza Unità d’Italia, where crowds gathered to watch the city’s Christmas lights switch on simultaneously across the historic center and surrounding neighborhoods.
The event, a long-standing local tradition, featured a brief performance by a group of Christmas carolers before officials led a countdown to the 5 p.m. illumination. Moments later, newly installed light displays — expanded and updated for this year’s festivities — lit up streets, squares, and waterfront promenades. The decorations will remain in place through the Orthodox Epiphany in January.
Mayor Roberto Dipiazza, speaking to the crowd, thanked regional and municipal officials for their presence and noted Trieste’s growing reputation as a winter destination. “There was a time when people traveled from Trieste to Salzburg to admire the Christmas decorations,” he said. “Today the trend has reversed. Trieste has become a point of attraction for visitors during the holidays. Our beautiful city is finally receiving the recognition it deserves.”
Massimiliano Fedriga, president of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, emphasized the broader impact of the city’s holiday programming. “This is not only an initiative that pleases the people of Trieste,” he said. “It is also an economic one. Winter tourism now considers not only mountain destinations but also cities based on the quality of hospitality they offer. Trieste continues to grow, and this is the result of serious work by the municipal administration, which is creating new opportunities for the community.”
Giorgio Rossi, the city’s councillor for Culture and Tourism, highlighted the role of residents and local workers in Trieste’s recent tourism performance. “The results of 2025 have been extraordinary, just as in previous years,” he said, offering holiday greetings on behalf of the city government. He invited residents to enjoy the month’s program of light installations and performances, “especially the youngest, who are the future of Trieste.”
Several local officials attended the ceremony, including municipal councillors Everest Bertoli and Massimo Tognolli; regional councillor Pierpaolo Roberti; and regional council member Carlo Grilli.
After the lighting, the Adriatic Choir of the United World College performed in the square, marking the start of the city’s holiday calendar under the banner “A Trieste per le Feste.”
Festivities continue today with the opening of the ice-skating rink in Piazza Ponterosso at 3 p.m. and the inauguration of the traditional San Nicolò fair on Viale XX Settembre at 5 p.m. The full schedule of events will unfold across the city’s neighborhoods in the coming weeks.
For the 2025–26 holiday season, the municipality has invested €1.38 million — a 54 percent increase over last year — in roughly 100 decorated fir trees and 700 new lighting installations, carried out as part of a project financing agreement with Edison Next Government.
