Duino Castle, owned by the princely della Torre and Tasso family, was built in the 14th century on the ruins of a Roman military outpost.
It is a massive construction dominating the gulf of Trieste. The external ramparts overlooking the sea and the panoramic terrace of the tower offer extraordinary vistas. The castle houses important works of art and refined historical relics, such as the 1810 fortepiano played by Liszt, and the beautiful Palladio staircase, an architectural masterpiece.
It has welcomed numerous prestigious guests: from Elizabeth of Austria to Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and the Chambord Counts; from Johann Strauss to Franz Liszt; from Hugo von Hofmannsthal to Paul Valery; and last, but not least, the illustrious Bohemian poet Rainer Maria Rilke, author of the “Duino Elegies” (the first two composed during his stay at the Castle, guest of Princess Marie Thurn und Taxis).
The garden, created when the castle was rebuilt in the 19th century, has a Mediterranean flavour and spreads over a range of levels, following the criteria of eclecticism. It was later expanded with the addition of sculptural elements that give the landscape a less casual appearance, while classical-style statues at the entrance give the castle the pleasant air of a villa.
The castle’s bunker was built in 1943 for the Nazi Navy defending the Sistiana base against a possible Allied landing. Before it was armed with a cannon, it was used as an anti-aircraft shelter and, after liberation, the English army (1945-1954) used it as a fuel depot. It occupies 400 m2 at 18m underground.
Near the castle are the ruins of Castel Vecchio, the first fortified nucleus built in the 11th century. Beneath the castle, overlooking the sea, is a rock whose shape resembles a woman wrapped in a cloak: the White Lady of tragic local legend.
Friuli Venezia Giulia Film Commission
Piazza Duca degli Abruzzi 3 — 34132 Trieste
Phone: +39 040 3720142
Email: filmcommission@promoturismo.fvg.it
