by Ashley Caneva
All photographs courtesy of Ashley Caneva
I’m starting to think I may be getting a reputation among the archeologists in Trieste. Every chance I get, I walk around an active dig site to see what’s new (or rather, “old”). Fortunately, they don’t seem to mind my fangirlish reaction to a half-submerged fragment of Roman wall and they’re happy to share their discoveries with an enthusiastic passer-by.
Just when I thought the archeological intrigue atop San Giusto hill had peaked, the plot has thickened. In addition to the Roman oil press and medieval wall discovered in front of San Giusto Cathedral last year and the remains of an ancient dwelling that appears to far predate all other local discoveries on Via San Giusto, archeologists have now made even more insightful discoveries.
Beneath Via del Castello another assortment of clues to Treiste’s storied past has been unearthed. If you visit the site, you’ll notice a large tunnel running beneath the modern road. This tunnel was apparently once used for discreetly transporting psychiatric patients to the recreational area across the street sometime in the 1800’s.
To the east of the tunnel lie the remains of what looks to have been a small private chapel. This chapel is likely to have burned down, as evidenced by charred debris and the remains of a larger wooden object which the archeologists believe to have been an altar. On the west side of the tunnel, they have discovered an intersection of two Roman roads and part of an old drainage system.
The dig site on Via San Giusto is also being expanded in an attempt to glean more information about the ancient structure they previously found. A second column has been unearthed, as well as a wall that appears to have been part of a larger structure extending in the direction of the Winckelmann Museum.
There are still many unknowns about the exact time periods and purposes of the newly discovered structures, but one thing is certain: the wonderful archeological team working on San Giusto will be seeing more of me. Maybe I should bake them some cookies …
Hello. What lovely articles about fhe city my mother grew up in. You get a real feel gor Trieste and its history and culture. Thank you. Marie from UK.