Cathedral of San Giusto

The Cathedral of San Giusto is the cathedral of Trieste, dedicated to Saint Justus of Trieste. The church is located on the top of the homonymous hill, overlooking the city, only a few meters from the San Giusto Castle.

Saint Justus of Trieste is a Roman Catholic saint, martyred on November 2, 293. Because he refused to worship the Roman gods, he was found guilty of sacrilege and sentenced to death by drowning.

SHORT HISTORY

Two churches were erected on this site between the 9th and 11th century – one dedicated to Saint Mary of the Assumption, and the other to San Giusto. Between 1302 and 1320, Bishop Rodolfo Pedrazzani joined the two existing churches under one roof, also building a simple asymmetrical facade.

Between 1337 and 1343, the bell tower of the former church of Santa Maria was restored, being covered with a thick wall, but the works on the church were completed at the end of the century. The bell tower was originally higher, but in 1422 it was struck by lightning and was reduced to its current height.

On November 27, 1385, the first German bishop of Trieste, Enrico de Wildenstein, consecrated the main altar of the cathedral.

ART AND ARCHITECTURE

Both the bell tower and the facade of the church are covered with bricks and stones from the Roman period. The entrance portal was built from an ancient funeral monument. The bronze busts, added in 1862 above the main portal, are also made from Roman pedestals.

The austere facade of the church is enriched by a huge rose window, work of master stonemasons from Soncino, near Cremona. The bell tower houses a complex of five large bells, tuned in scale of G major.

Inside, we can find works of art made by craftsmen from Veneto during the 12th and 13th centuries, like the apsidal mosaics depicting Saint Mary of the Assumption and Christ between Saint Justus and Saint Servolus. The interior contains many sacred artifacts, mainly in the Treasury, hidden behind a baroque grate.

HOW TO GET THERE

The Cathedral of San Giusto is located about 1.6 kilometers from the Trieste Centrale railway station. The closest bus stop is located in Via Giuseppe Rota 7, about 120 meters away, on the bus Line 24. To find the church on foot, use the map below.