by Nina Vaclavikova
Interviews: Elisa Lodi, Trieste City Councillor for Real Estate Policies and Sport; Francesco Fazari, Principal of I.S.I.S. Nautico “Tomaso di Savoia Duca di Genova – Luigi Galvani”; a student
The city of Trieste has approved a pilot initiative to provide municipal housing for out-of-town students attending one of Italy’s oldest and most prestigious technical schools, the I.S.I.S. Nautico “Tomaso di Savoia Duca di Genova – Luigi Galvani.”
Under a resolution adopted by the municipal executive on December 22, the city will make available up to three apartments for the 2026–27 academic year to students who live outside the city and are enrolled at the Nautical Institute. The move is intended to support access to education and strengthen technical and maritime training, areas in which the school has long held national prominence.
The apartments are located in a municipally owned building in Trieste’s historic Cittavecchia district and can accommodate between four and six students in total. The housing is reserved for underage students, with short-term rental contracts signed exclusively with parents or legal guardians and lasting for the duration of the school year.
City officials said the initiative responds to a longstanding gap in Trieste: the absence of regulated student housing for secondary-school students, particularly those arriving from other parts of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region. The Nautical Institute draws students from across northeastern Italy and plays a key role in training future professionals in maritime logistics and naval technology.
The apartments are part of a broader portfolio of historic buildings acquired and renovated by the city over time. Originally classified as non-transferable public assets, the properties were reclassified in July 2024 to allow more flexible use, including temporary rental agreements, while maintaining their social and public purpose. Municipal officials have framed the project as both an education policy measure and an effort to revitalize Cittavecchia through student residency.
Management of the housing will be governed by a framework agreement between the city and the school. The pilot phase will allow the municipality to assess whether the model could be expanded or made permanent in the future.
Rental fees will be calculated according to existing local agreements for short-term leases, based on apartment size and features, and in line with national housing regulations.
City representatives described the Nautical Institute as a unique educational asset for Trieste and the region. School officials welcomed the decision, calling it a first step toward ensuring equal access to specialized education for students from outside the city and strengthening the institute’s growing role in regional and national maritime culture.
Municipal authorities also indicated that additional apartments in the same area may be allocated to similar projects in the coming years, signaling a broader strategy to link public housing policy with education and urban renewal.
