Rijeka is one of the most emblematic cities of the former Habsburg Empire. The Kvarner’s capital has a complex identity and intricate history that never cease to intrigue (and confuse) those who visit it. Ivan Jeličić is a professor of contemporary history at the University of Rijeka and one of the researchers who worked on… Continue reading Habsburg Rijeka: from Corpus Separatum to Port of Diversity
Walking through the streets of Rijeka, one can easily notice the many architectural accomplishments that have transformed this coastal city into a Central European one during the 19th century. For example, with the construction of the Modello Palace and the theatre, both opened in 1885, the architecture studio Fellner & Helmer gave Rijeka the whiff of Vienna, while the Governor’s… Continue reading Of Love, Lighthouses, and Layered Cakes: Rijeka’s Sweet Surprises
Let us imagine that we are taking a journey back in time, traveling to 20th century Egypt. Wandering the streets of Cairo and Alexandria back then meant bumping into numerous European officials, businessmen, and sophisticated ladies, all dressed in fine clothes and flanked by servants. Having passed the bazaars, noisy and overflowing with the aroma… Continue reading The Slovenian palm on the Nile
The Republic of Venice met its demise in 1797. Today, you can explore its heritage. Embark on a journey from Venice to Dubrovnik to unveil the vestiges of the Serenissima, an extinct country that held sway over the Adriatic and Mediterranean regions for nearly a millennium. Commencing in Venice, the former capital, the voyage proceeds… Continue reading Our guided group tour across the Republic of Venice
On the eve of World War I, the Habsburg Empire was still an important political entity encompassing much of Central and Eastern Europe. From Italy to Ukraine, Poland to Bosnia-Herzegovina, thirteen contemporary states are then part of this multiethnic empire, where dozens of populations of different languages, religions and traditions coexist. Slow, bureaucratic and bent… Continue reading Habsburg Empire and California: different time, similar identities
This article originally appeared (in Italian) on Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Traseuropa. Acces the article here: La grecità della Calabria The jeep climbs the slopes of the Aspromonte, leaving behind a cloud of dust. On either side of the vehicle run wild pear trees, clumps of purple heather, yellow cushions of thorny spurge or the… Continue reading Strolling in ancient Greece
In the South of Germany, nestled within the mountainous Black Forest, flow two small streams: Brigach and Breg. Their names may not ring a bell, but the river they give life to just a few kilometres downstream certainly will: the Danube. Europe’s longest waterway winds through ten countries before emptying into the Black Sea. Since… Continue reading From Istanbul to the Alps: the journey of a window along the Danube
Should we make a travel guide dedicated to ‘regions that no longer exist’, Galicia would certainly be among the most popular. Indeed, not only did this province arise from the partitioning of a former state, the Polish-Lithuanian Confederation, but it disappeared along with another bygone empire, the Habsburg Empire, of which it was a part.… Continue reading Habsburg Galicia: troubled and wonderful diversity
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