by Nastassja Martin
Interviews: Erica Bacer and Anna Maria Tonello, members of the Association; Serena Tonel, deputy mayor of Trieste
Kaiserfest, a festival celebrating Trieste’s Habsburg-era heritage, will return Oct. 24 through Nov. 1, bringing historical walking tours, exhibitions, market stalls and period-costume performances to Piazza Ponterosso and surrounding areas.
Now in its ninth edition, the festival will open at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 24. Organized by Altamarea Eventi in collaboration with the Municipality of Trieste and local cultural associations, the event explores the city’s history as a major port of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
This year’s program coincides with the 110th anniversary of the death of Emperor Franz Joseph I, who died on Nov. 21, 1916, at Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna.
The festival will feature guided visits to historic sites, including the Old Port, the Museum of the Sea, the Hydrodynamic Power Plant and the Postal and Telegraph Museum of Central Europe. New additions include a tour of the Karst village of Opicina, reached by tram, and visits to the Archbishop’s Chapel and the former residence of Baron Pasquale Revoltella.
On Sunday, Oct. 25, historian Zeno Saracino will lead a visit to Opicina and the Borarium, a museum dedicated to the bora, the strong wind characteristic of Trieste. Other tours will examine the city’s maritime, architectural and cultural history.
The festival will conclude its main public program on Sunday, Nov. 1, with a procession and period-costume dance in Piazza dell’Unità d’Italia at noon. The performance will be organized by the Trieste Ottocento and Serenissima Danze 800 associations, drawing on dance traditions associated with 19th-century Central Europe.
Deputy Mayor Serena Tonel, who oversees economic policy, described Kaiserfest as an opportunity to connect the city’s historical identity with its contemporary cultural life. The event, she said, has expanded from its original focus on commercial activities to include historical reconstruction and educational programming.
Commercial stalls will operate along the Ponterosso canal and nearby streets throughout the festival, from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. The program also includes the participation of Scricciolo, a volunteer association supporting families of premature infants.
Several guided tours require advance reservations and payment. Information and bookings are available through Mittelnet’s website.
By combining historical visits, public performances and commercial activities, the organizers aim to draw both residents and visitors interested in Trieste’s place within the cultural history of Central Europe.
