Saint Anthon and the Canal Grande, Trieste

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The huge church of St. Antonio Thaumaturgo is situated at the northern end of the Canale Grande. Its neo-classical front facade and the cupola represents one of the emblems of the town. You cannot miss it when strolling around because it can be seen literaly from the any part of the town.

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Borgo Teresiano is the central part of the city of Trieste, and its real heart is Canale Grande. A number of many important city palaces can be seen in these area; massive Palazzo Carciotti, Palazzo Gopcevich, Museo Civico, and beautiful but underrated Piazza Ponterosso.

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The Church of Sant'Antonio Nuovo is built in obvious Neo-Classical style and it dominates the view of anyone looking down the Canale Grande. Indeed, its large columns and blue dome make it easy to mistake this place of worship for a theatre or some other sort of cultural exhibition place. Sant'Antonio Nuovo was designed by Pietro Nobile and constructed between 1827 and 1842. The Church was finally consacracted in 1849, almost 80 years after the city fathers agreed on the construction of a church dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua in order to deal with the rapidly rising number of faithful within the city limits of Trieste.

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The Piazza Ponterosso is the Square at the end of the Canale Grande and contains a bit of joy for Joyce fans. At number 3 lies the house of Joyce and his wife Nora, who stayed in Trieste from 1904 to 1915 and again in 1919-20. In the centre of Piazza Ponterosso you'll also find, from time to time, a traditional fruit market. The seat of the Università popolare is located here, and Joyce occasionally held lectures in its building.

In the centre of the Piazza you will find an interesting fountain, known as the Fontana del Giovannin del Ponterosso. It was built in 1753 on the orders of Giovanni Mazzoleni and was only completed in its current form in 1761 with the finishing touches added by the German Giovanni Carlo Wagner. The name of Giovannin comes from the fact that the water is transported from the San Giovanni acqueduct. It cascades from the little Giovannin's feet into three conches (although, as you can see in the picture, the water isn't always turned on).

The Piazza Ponterosso is also known for the violent clashes that erupted here after the assassination of King Umberto I of Savoy, which occurred in Monza on 29 July 1900.

The Palazzo Gopcevich, located at the end of the Canale Grande, is a magnificent building that is frequently overlooked because of the imposing St. Anthon at the end of the Canale. It was constructed in the 19th century in the neo-Renaissance style and was ordered as part of Maria Theresa's revitalization of the central area. Today, the Palazzo Gopcevich is used more as an exhibition space than any sort of architectural temple. Art and other such shows are frequently held here (so check with the Comune as to what is on when you visit). Even if nothing is on, or it isn't to your taste, there is still quite a lot of joy that comes from marvelling at the pink-and-white façade.

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Palazzo Carciotti is located along the shores (called rive) and it is the most sumptuous neoclassic palace in Trieste. Greek merchant Demetrio Carciotti had it built in 1799-1805 on a project by Matteo Pertsch.
On the façade you can see a balustrade with six statues by Antonio Bosa, disciple of famous Venetian sculptor Antonio Canova.

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The Canale Grande is not, in fact, the centre of Trieste, although it may seem that way if you're going towards the historic centre from the train station. The Canale Grande is has a few fishing boats, but it is flanked primarily by restaurants and cafés now. The area, however, is great for exploring some of the smaller monuments of Trieste. The Serbian Orthodox Church is close to the Canale Grande, while the Greek Orthodox Church is on the waterfront near the entrance to the Canale. The end of the Canale is just opposite the city theatre, an impressive domed construction that dominates the area of the Canale.

James Joyce, the famous Irish author of "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" and "Ullyses" once lived in the city of Trieste and his time there influenced, however subtlely, his works. As a tribute to the acclaimed author, the city of Trieste has erected a statue of Joyce near the Canale Grande. Literary buffs will be delighted!