by InTrieste
Students from 15 high schools in Rome and its metropolitan area visited this northeastern port city on Monday as part of Italy’s “Viaggio del Ricordo,” or Journey of Remembrance, a program dedicated to the history of the foibe massacres and the Istrian-Dalmatian exodus after World War II.
The delegation, led by Rome’s mayor, Roberto Gualtieri, was welcomed by Trieste’s mayor, Roberto Dipiazza, at Magazzino 26, a large former port warehouse now used as a cultural and memorial space housing belongings of Italian exiles from Istria, Fiume and Dalmatia.
Mr. Dipiazza described the site as part of Trieste’s broader urban redevelopment of the old Austro-Hungarian port area, now being transformed into a cultural district. He also emphasized the city’s postwar efforts toward reconciliation between Italy, Slovenia and Croatia.
Mr. Gualtieri thanked Trieste for preserving the site and said the history of the foibe and the exodus is also part of Rome’s memory, where many descendants of the exiled communities live.
The group later visited the Foiba di Basovizza, a national monument commemorating victims of the foibe killings. The visit included remarks on the importance of historical awareness and European unity, followed by a silent moment of reflection.
The delegation included Rome city councillors and students from schools including Bertrand Russell, Plauto, Giuseppe Garibaldi, Maria Montessori and others.
The day concluded at the Basovizza memorial, where students gathered at the Monument to the Fallen before returning to Rome.
