Borsa Vecchia

Piazza della Borsa in Trieste, also known as the city's "second drawing room," was the economic heart of the metropolis in the nineteenth century. The dominant building is the neoclassical palace, built in 1806 by Antonio Mollari, which now houses the Chamber of Commerce. It originally served the stock exchange traders before they moved to the Tergesteo building in 1844 and later, in 1928, to the "Borsa Nuova." The square borders Piazza Unità d'Italia directly and follows the line of the old city walls. Here you can admire the historic Column of Leopold I, which commemorates the establishment of the free port, as well as the elegant Art Nouveau building Casa Bartoli by Max Fabiani. Since the extensive renovation and conversion into a pedestrian zone in 2011, the historic Neptune Fountain, which previously stood in Piazza Venezia, once again defines the look of the square. The surrounding area also offers a view of the historic Tergesteo gallery, which provides a direct connection to the opera house.