by Victor Caneva
All photographs courtesy of Victor Caneva
Much has been said about Trieste’s remarkable, resplendent light. Well, at least by me. With all of the literary geniuses who have lived in and loved our city, I am surprised that Trieste’s unique light has not been celebrated more widely in poetry and prose.
Umberto Saba recalls Trieste’s “mare luminoso” in his 1944 poem “Avevo,” but other than this, I have not discovered many odes to light in Trieste (knowing me, however, I’ll probably find some after finishing this article.) It’s possible that some of Trieste’s “grumpy-pants” writers were too busy contemplating more melancholic themes. Perhaps we should all hug a writer when Covid is over and done with.
For me, Trieste’s light is intoxicating. It can be a comforting orange embrace from softening rays of a vanishing sun or the invigorating, glinting dance of morning beams bouncing on a previously unnoticed ornate cornice. There is a light for every mood and, depending on the hour and season, sunbeams kiss, bathe, burn, illuminate, or highlight all of the grand palazzi and unknown niches alike that make up this mysterious city.
Each day’s light has a slightly diverse quality, and when I slow down and observe the city, I often notice new surprises in familiar spaces. Countless beautiful secrets lie hidden among the upper reaches of tightly packed palazzi. When the light shines or refracts in just the right way, regularly overlooked architectural details jump in to focus. I’ve learned not to always walk on the same side of the street. The paltry difference of a few meters may reveal striking frescoes or curious stone faces that might have been spying on you for years as you’ve walked below, completely unaware.
Like an Instagram filter for life, Trieste’s ethereal light adds vibrance, texture, and feeling to scenes we’re all too used to hurrying past. Piazza Unità D’Italia can appear strikingly different at noon on a limpid, sunny day than it does at sunset on an evening with a gentle haze. The changing angle of the sun highlights completely diverse features in summer than in winter. Light is the vehicle with which Trieste expresses its moods and I am glad to live in such a moody city.
So, the next time you can, walk a little slower. Look up and around. Take note of the small, beautiful things you’ve missed. Let Trieste’s light take you on an exclusive tour, open only to those willing to pause, be still, and take it all in. You will certainly find a world of newness in this “enlightened city.”
