The Generali Historical Archive for the Museums of History and Art of Trieste Photo Library

The Generali Historical Archive presented a talk on Palazzo Stratti—one of Generali’s most iconic historic properties overlooking Piazza Unità d’Italia—on Wednesday, 25 February 2026 at the Photographic Archive of the Civic Museums of Trieste. The tile of the presentation was Storia e Storie di Palazzo Stratti.

The event was organized as a collateral initiative to the exhibition La Fototeca in piazza. Scatti di storia e storie (The photo library out in the square. Snapshots of history and stories), held at Palazzo Gopcevich from 5 December 2025 to 6 April 2026, which also features numerous historical images of the building.

The history of Palazzo Stratti is a remarkable one—not only for Generali but above all for the city of Trieste. For nearly two centuries, the building has stood as a witness to one of the city’s most symbolic locations, pivotal to its civic and institutional identity: the city’s principal square. Formerly known as Piazza Grande or Piazza San Pietro, the square adopted its current name, Piazza Unità d’Italia, after the First World War and Trieste’s annexation to Italy. Palazzo Stratti has experienced the square’s many transformations firsthand and played a role in key moments in the city’s history.

Originally commissioned by the Greek merchant Nicolò Stratti, the building was constructed in 1839 and acquired by Generali in 1846. Over the following decades, Generali shaped its modern appearance through expansions, additional storeys, new decorative elements, and the repositioning of the main entrance toward the square—together with the relocation of the monumental sculptural group celebrating Trieste, commerce, and progress. These elements recall the city’s cosmopolitan origins and the mercantile tradition that drove Trieste’s development between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. 

Among the symbols carved into the sculptural group—representing the arts and knowledge—there is, curiously, a steam locomotive, which art historian Philippe Daverio famously described as making it “the only building with a train on its façade.”

From the outset, the palazzo served as an important social and cultural venue, hosting clubs, associations, musical activities, and the renowned Caffè degli Specchi—an iconic establishment of Trieste in operation since 1839.

Today, Palazzo Stratti continues to play a central role in the life of the city. It houses offices, commercial activities, and Generali’s executive spaces, reaffirming its identity as a dynamic and well-frequented place. An emblematic setting where past and present constantly interact—through architecture, history, and everyday life.