Sunday we went to the opera: a performance of La Batiglia di Legano by Verdi. The theatre, Teatro Verdi, is not large. There is seating on the main floor and 5 rows of box seats wrapped around the theatre. Our seats were excellent, in the first row of box seats and in the center, making for a most enjoyable evening. There were some fine solos, duets, and 3 part singing. The staging included a person pretending to paint the scene as the action went along, but not singing. At the end, a framed canvas briefly appeared encompassing the whole stage. The audience was a mixture of furs and more informal wear.

Monday there were no special plans, but Tuesday we went to the Sartorio Museum. Sartorio was a wealthy merchant in the late 1700s, with many descendants who had more interest in art than in making money. (Will the wealthy descendants of the current billionaires have similar interests?) The museum is in the family domicile and has many rooms containing too many objects to describe. A portion of the collection consists of some drawings of Tiepelo which are interesting but not, I think, his best. The museum is in the university district of the city. Then to a "historic coffee bar" frequented by Joyce, Svevo, etc., and to lunch at the same arab restaurant at which we ate several days ago. I have picked up a few thin books in Italian that I will try to read.

Summarizing my impressions of Trieste, I think it is a fine town. I could easily spend a month here. We have had fine weather here, clear and not much of the strong wind for which Trieste is well known. Tomorrow we pack and move to our next destination, Opatija. We have already bought bus tickets. 

Statue of Italo Svevo

Plaque below the statue