Friuli Venezia Giulia - Trieste - The Carso and its folk traditions

THE CARSO AND ITS FOLK TRADITIONS

The process of formation of the Carso is thought to have taken millions of years. In this area limestone is plentiful and, owing to its permeability, surface hydrography is practically non-existent here, which leads to the presence of typical phenomena due to the penetration of water into the soil: the dolines, the grottoes and the swallow-holes. The geomorphological aspects of our Carso are such that, when they are found in other regions, they are called karst phenomena (being karst the adjective for Carso). The most romantic, though not the quickest, means to reach the Carso from Trieste is the old cable tramcar which leaves Piazza Oberdan in the centre of town, climbs the steep Salita di Scorcola and goes up to the village of Opicina. The journey is pleasant and picturesque, and visitors can enjoy the view of the whole town. A panoramic path for pedestrians only, commonly known as the "Napoleonica", links Opicina to Prosecco. Traditional stories have that the way was opened by Napoleon's troops in order to have and easier access to Trieste. Owing to the peculiar nature of the soil, there are also ponds and lakes. The best known is that of Percedol on the bottom of a wide doline which can be reached from the provincial road running from Opicina to Monrupino. It is not very large - its diameter is about 30 meters - but it is perennial, so that it has many species of water plants, among which water lilies. All karst grottoes are remarkable from both the geological and the historical point of view, since human settlements dwelled there in the Pre-history. The best known and most easily accessible one is the Grotta Gigante (Giant Grotto), the central hall of which is so large that it could contain St. Peter's Cathedral. Outside the cave there is a Spelaeological Museum of great interest. Those who want to take home some nice fossils cannot fail to go to at least one of the various small and large quarries that can be found in the Carso. In this context, it is interesting to visit the ancient Cava Romana (Roman Quarry), which is not far from the village of Aurisina. The depth of the quarry reaches 100 meters. During the Imperial Age, some of the largest and most important Milan monuments were made with its stone. The stones to build Aquileia and, more recently, the Borgo Teresiano in Trieste, were also extracted here. The Santuario di Monte Grisa stands out on the edge of Mount Grisa. It is the destination of pilgrimages to worship Maria Madre e Regina (Mary Mother and Queen), to whom this peculiar avant-garde construction is dedicated. The shrine, with the attractive sequence of its interiors, was designed by Antonio Guacci (1967) in one of the places of the plateau from which the whole gulf can be admired. In planning an excursion to the Carso area, the Castellieri must not be forgotten. They are the remains of villages of the Bronze Age built on hills and surrounded by sound loose-laid walls. Another place which cannot be missing in a trip is Monrupino, with a fortress erected by the natives in the XIV century to defend themselves from the raids of the Turks. This historically fascinating place is also one of the most important lookouts on the Carso, and there is a shrine where the "Nozze Carsiche" (Karst Wedding) is celebrated every two years. This traditional folk festival of the Slovene ethnic groups lasts for four days, from the last Thursday to the last Sunday of August. In this period all people may take part in the celebrations, in which all the inhabitants of the area are involved. Furthermore, in the village of Rupingrande, there is a very interesting museum-house which was restored in 1968 to give an idea of what a traditional karst house looked like, with furniture of the XIX century, an old stable and a gallery for exhibitions of local art and craftmanship. The house can be visited from Easter to the last week of September, on Sundays and holidays. In accordance with an old and deeply-rooted karst tradition, the "osmizze", country wine-cellars selling wine of their own production, are opened for short periods. As early as in the last century, many scholars underlined the peculiar nature of the karst flora. From Miramare to Duino, the flora is indeed of the Mediterranean type, but with Balkan features: for example, it includes the sumac. On the plateau, on the other hand, the prevailing flora is that of the Illyrian type, while on the Northward slopes of the dolines the last specimens of a subalpine flora can be found, opposed to a Mediterranean flora on the Southward slopes of the same dolines. Those who wish to have an overall idea of variety of species which make up the karst flora can visit the "Carsiana", a botanical garden with a surface of 6,000 square meters approximately, on the road from Sgonico to Gabrovizza. The park, which encompasses a doline, a portion of karst landes and a hollow with an access pit, is particularly picturesque and interesting. It can be visited from May to September, on Saturdays and Sundays. As far as the fauna is concerned, it reflects the environmental conditions of this area. It is therefore easy to meet fallow and roe deer, hares, hedgehogs, moles, dormice and various species of birds and reptiles. Near Trieste there is a beautiful and detached world where mountaineering enthusiast can find the Rifugio Premuda, the national school of mountaineering founded by Emilio Comici. The Val Rosandra (Rosandra Valley), the destination of Sunday trips and much loved by those who most appreciate the beauties of the Carso, has the ruins of the Roman aqueduct built in the I century a.D., which carried the water of the Rosandra river to Trieste in order to supply part of the town, while the other part received water from the lush valley of San Giovanni. Someone said that it was not by chance that people passed through Trieste: it was necessary to come for a particular reason or to have to cross the border. This extremity of the Italian peninsula owes its present appleal to the very fact that it is a border land. Like an architect furnishing a house who enjoys moving pieces of different styles, thereby conferring peculiar features to each corner, the town developed structural patterns linked to the character of its people, now more than ever halfway between past and future, between realities far gone and never forgotten and the need to look ahead, to set new objectives. Like a beautiful middle-aged lady who is appreciated for her intelligence rather than for other virtues, it welcomes those who are attracted by its charm with "detached gracefulness". Trieste is undoubtedly a town with many "souls", a town of contrast. It is equally undeniable, however, that it is a town which always offers pleasant surprises. It is unique, and people recall it with images which remain in their hearts forever: a group of young people climbing, a very colourful play of sails in the gulf - incidentally, one of the most impressive European regattas is held there -, the pink light in a café, the setting sun which sets ablaze the façades of the palaces along the Rive. Its atmosphere, magical and incredible, there remains, the atmosphere of a corner of the world which offers timeless suggestive impressions.