Chiesa Serbo Ortodossa di San Spiridione (Saint Spyridon Church), Trieste
The Church of Saint Spyridon by the Grand Canal is Trieste鈥檚 great splash of blue domes and Byzantine flair. Its roots go back to 1751, when Empress Maria Theresa granted Orthodox Christians the right to worship openly. At first, Serbs and Greeks shared a modest little church, but by the end of the 18th century the partnership dissolved, and the Serbian community decided it was time for something bigger, brighter, and unmistakably theirs.
A competition in 1858 brought in proposals from across Europe, but it was Carlo Maciachini of Milan who won the job. His design rose between 1861 and 1869, producing the Neo-Byzantine landmark that stands today. Five domes crown the church鈥攐ne large and four small鈥攕et over a Greek-cross plan, the stonework sourced from Carrara, Verona, Istria, and the Karst Plateau.
The exterior doubles as a mosaic gallery: Saint Spyridon gazes down from gold, flanked by saints and Archangel Michael, with marble figures added for extra weight. Inside, the decoration leans into spectacle. Frescoes gleam, with Christ Pantocrator looming in the dome, the Assumption unfolding on one wall, and the Council of Nicaea gathered on another. The altarpiece shimmers with early 19th-century Russian icons trimmed in gold and silver, while a silver lamp gifted by the future Tsar Paul I in 1772 still hangs as if he dropped by yesterday.
For visitors, Saint Spyridon is more than domes and decoration鈥攊t鈥檚 a reminder that Trieste鈥檚 identity has always been layered, multicultural, and proudly on display.
A competition in 1858 brought in proposals from across Europe, but it was Carlo Maciachini of Milan who won the job. His design rose between 1861 and 1869, producing the Neo-Byzantine landmark that stands today. Five domes crown the church鈥攐ne large and four small鈥攕et over a Greek-cross plan, the stonework sourced from Carrara, Verona, Istria, and the Karst Plateau.
The exterior doubles as a mosaic gallery: Saint Spyridon gazes down from gold, flanked by saints and Archangel Michael, with marble figures added for extra weight. Inside, the decoration leans into spectacle. Frescoes gleam, with Christ Pantocrator looming in the dome, the Assumption unfolding on one wall, and the Council of Nicaea gathered on another. The altarpiece shimmers with early 19th-century Russian icons trimmed in gold and silver, while a silver lamp gifted by the future Tsar Paul I in 1772 still hangs as if he dropped by yesterday.
For visitors, Saint Spyridon is more than domes and decoration鈥攊t鈥檚 a reminder that Trieste鈥檚 identity has always been layered, multicultural, and proudly on display.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Trieste. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "黑料吃瓜网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
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Chiesa Serbo Ortodossa di San Spiridione (Saint Spyridon Church) on Map
Sight Name: Chiesa Serbo Ortodossa di San Spiridione (Saint Spyridon Church)
Sight Location: Trieste, Italy (See walking tours in Trieste)
Sight Type: Religious
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Trieste, Italy (See walking tours in Trieste)
Sight Type: Religious
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Trieste, Italy
Create Your Own Walk in Trieste
Creating your own self-guided walk in Trieste is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Trieste Introduction Walking Tour
Let鈥檚 drop into Trieste, a city that鈥檚 always had one foot in Central Europe and the other dipping into the Adriatic. It sits at Italy鈥檚 northeastern edge, pressed against Slovenia, where winds tear across the Karst Plateau and caves open like gateways underground. Some call it 鈥淰ienna by the Sea,鈥� others swear it鈥檚 the 鈥淐ity of Coffee,鈥� but labels never really fit. From the start,... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.7 Km or 2.3 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.7 Km or 2.3 Miles
Trieste's Ancient Roman Sites Walking Tour
The Roman remains on Trieste extend along the northwestern slope of San Giusto Hill, overlooking the Gulf of Trieste. Wharves of sandstone slabs dating from the 1st century AD were found by the Roman Theatre. The city walls, ordered by Augustus, were converted to use as terraces.
The Propylaeum of the 1st century AD was the gateway to the sacred area of the Capitoline Temple. There are two... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.9 Km or 0.6 Miles
The Propylaeum of the 1st century AD was the gateway to the sacred area of the Capitoline Temple. There are two... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.9 Km or 0.6 Miles