Volti di donna. Nella Trieste della Belle Époque

A glimpse into early 20th-century Trieste

Trieste has this fascinating habit: every now and then, it takes you by the hand and brings you back in time. From 17 January to 15 March 2026, the evocative Sala Sbisà in Magazzino 26 at Porto Vecchio - Porto Vivo will host a photographic exhibition that takes visitors on a journey through Trieste during the Belle Époque, a time when the city was elegant, lively, somewhat vain and already incredibly modern.

The exhibition

The focus is on women, observed as they move through the city.

Real women: with elaborate hats, elegant dresses, jewellery and curious glances. Women strolling through the city centre, chatting in cafés, going to the racecourse, boarding the vaporetti at the port. Everyday scenes, captured in the moment.

The photographer? Anonymous, but with an eye that today we would almost call "street photography".

Black and white, but not only

The exhibition features 70 photographs printed on panels and 100 original vintage photographs.
And then there’s a detail that always sparks curiosity: some images have been recoloured using artificial intelligence.

Not to "modernise" them at all costs, but to continue a desire that already existed at the time - to move beyond black and white. During the Belle Époque, photographs and films were often hand-coloured. Today we use different tools, but with the same desire to imagine the world as it really was.

More than an exhibition: a small festival

Throughout the opening period, there will be a packed calendar of free events: guided tours, talks on fashion and women's history in the Upper Adriatic area, live portraits created using ancient techniques, dramatised tours, a film screening and even a musical event.

Why we recommend it

If you are in Trieste during those days and want to better understand the soul of the city, see the Porto Vecchio transformed into a cultural space or discover an elegant but surprisingly modern Trieste, this exhibition is well worth your time.

Info:

Thursday to Sunday, 10:00 to 17:00
Free entry
Sala Sbisà - Magazzino 26, Porto Vecchio - Porto Vivo
A 30-minute walk from Hotello or 12 minutes by bus
Sito web

Photo credits Discover Trieste