San Giusto: what to see on the hill

San Giusto Hill at a glance

San Giusto is the hill that rises over central Trieste, just behind Piazza Unità d’Italia and the old town. This is where the city began: the Roman town of Tergeste stood on the summit, followed by the medieval core around the cathedral and, later, the castle.

Everything at the top is within a few steps of each other: the cathedral, the castle, the remains of the Roman forum, a small park and several viewpoints. The climb is short but steep, and it rewards you with one of the most complete views of the city and the port.

What to see on San Giusto Hill

San Giusto Cathedral

The cathedral, dedicated to the city’s patron saint, took shape in the 14th century when two older churches standing side by side were joined together. That is why the interior has five aisles and a slightly irregular plan. The stone façade is plain, with a large Gothic rose window, and the sides of the main doorway reuse sections of a Roman funerary stele.

Inside, the highlights are the medieval mosaics in the side apses, with gold backgrounds in the Byzantine style: one shows the Virgin enthroned between archangels, the other Christ between Saints Justus and Servulus. Look at the bell tower too, which incorporates the remains of an ancient Roman building.

San Giusto Castle and the Lapidario Tergestino

The castle was begun in the 15th century and enlarged over the following centuries with bastions and courtyards. Today it houses the civic museum, with furnished rooms and a collection of arms and armour, and you can walk along the walls for views over the old town’s rooftops, the port and the gulf.

One of the bastions holds the Lapidario Tergestino, devoted to Roman Trieste: inscriptions, statues, reliefs and architectural fragments found around the city. It is the best place to picture Tergeste before the Middle Ages.

The Roman forum

Between the cathedral and the castle you can see the remains of the Roman civic basilica, which once faced the forum of the ancient town. A few columns have been re-erected and give a sense of the building’s scale. It is not a large archaeological site, but it is the most visible trace of the Roman town on the hilltop.

The view and the Parco della Rimembranza

From the square in front of the cathedral and from the castle walls you look down over Trieste: the old town’s roofs, the cranes of the port, the waterfront and, on clear days, the coast as far as Istria. On the slopes of the hill lies the Parco della Rimembranza, a tree-lined park with memorial stones to the fallen of the First World War, peaceful and seldom visited by tourists.

Why walk up to San Giusto

The hill is where you grasp Trieste’s history at a glance: Roman, medieval and Habsburg. It is much quieter than the waterfront, and the cathedral is worth the visit for the mosaics alone. It also works well on grey days, as the cathedral and museum are indoors.

How to walk up from the centre

From Casa Bora, in the Borgo Teresiano, allow 20–25 minutes on foot: cross the centre to Piazza Unità d’Italia and then start climbing. There are two main routes.

Through the old town: Arco di Riccardo and the Roman Theatre

This is the nicest route. From the streets behind Piazza Unità you enter the old town towards Cavana, pass the Roman Theatre, clearly visible from the road at the foot of the hill, and reach the Arco di Riccardo, an ancient Roman gateway. From here Via della Cattedrale climbs to the top between low houses and flights of steps.

From Piazza Goldoni: the Scala dei Giganti

From Piazza Goldoni a long monumental staircase, the Scala dei Giganti, leads up towards the hill. It is more direct but all steps: easy going down, hard work going up.

If the climb is too much

The climb is short but steep, with some stepped sections. If you have small children, a pushchair or find walking difficult, you can go up by bus or taxi and walk down, which is far more pleasant: check routes and stops on the Trieste Trasporti website.

Practical information

• Cathedral: free entry; it is a place of worship, so avoid visiting during services.
• Castle and Lapidario: admission charged; opening hours and tickets vary with the season, so check the official website.
• Time needed: 30–45 minutes for the cathedral and forum, an hour or more for the castle.
• Shoes: comfortable ones with good grip, as the paving and steps can be slippery in the rain.

Tips

Tip: walk up through the old town past the Roman Theatre and the Arco di Riccardo, then come down via the Scala dei Giganti or the other side of the hill. That way you make a loop without retracing your steps.

When the Bora blows, the square at the top is very exposed: save the castle for a calmer moment and read our advice on Trieste in the Bora wind. The cathedral is a good refuge in the rain, as our rainy-day guide to Trieste explains.

Nearby

Along Via della Cattedrale you will also find the Orto Lapidario and the Civic Museum of Antiquities, if you want to dig deeper into ancient Trieste. At the foot of the hill are Piazza Unità d’Italia and the Molo Audace, with the Canal Grande a little further on. San Giusto is a stop on the route in Trieste on foot and on day one of Trieste in two days; if this is your first visit, start with first time in Trieste.