Piazza della Borsa

Piazza della Borsa is a square in Trieste, located between Corso Italia, an important artery of the city, and Piazza Unità d’Italia. The square was the economic center of the city throughout the 19th century.

SHORT HISTORY

The square was initially called Piazza della Dogana (Customs Square), from the name of the building that stood in place of the current Palazzo del Tergesteo. Its current name derives from the Palazzo della Borsa Vecchia (Palace of the Old Stock Exchange), built in 1806 by the architect Antonio Mollari to house the activities of the stock market traders.

Palazzo della Borsa, which is one of the most important examples of Trieste’s Neoclassical buildings, is currently the seat of the Trieste Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Crafts and Agriculture. The palace is called the Old Stock Exchange, as the Stock Exchange moved in 1844 in the Palazzo del Tergesteo, and then, in 1928, in an adjoining building (Palazzo Dreher), which became known as the New Exchange.

Next to Palazzo della Borsa, there was once the Canal Piccolo, still remembered today by the name of the street. The canal was filled in 1816.

In the square, we can find the Art Nouveau palace built by the architect Max Fabiani in 1905, Casa Bartoli, and the ancient covered gallery of the Tergesteo palace, built by the architect Buttazzoni and inaugurated in 1842, which creates a pedestrian connection to Piazza Giuseppe Verdi.

In front of Palazzo della Borsa, there is a stone column which supports the statue of Leopold I of Austria, whose son, Charles VI, established the free port of Trieste. The column was erected in 1660 in Piazza Pozzo del Mare and moved to Piazza della Borsa in 1808.

On April 27, 2011, the restored Piazza della Borsa was inaugurated, with the complete pedestrianization of the area and the return of the Neptune Fountain (Fontana del Nettuno) to its original location, from which it was removed in 1920.

HOW TO GET THERE

Piazza della Borsa is located about 850 meters from Trieste Centrale railway station. The closest bus stop is about 100 meters away, on Corso Italia, on the bus Line 23. To find the square on foot, use the map below.