Palazzo Haggi is an elegant building located at the corner between via Benedetto Marcello and via Tigor, in the San Vito district of Trieste, one of the most prestigious areas of the city's historic center. Its strategic position places it just a few minutes' walk from Piazza Cavana and Piazza Unità d’Italia.
Commission and Architecture
Commissioned by the Armenian merchant Haggi Giorgio Aydinian, born in Smyrna in 1844 and who moved to Trieste in 1880, the palace was designed by the Triestine architect Ruggero Berlam at the beginning of the 20th century, around 1904. Berlam, known for numerous significant works in the city, gave the palace a neo-medieval style recognizable especially in the decorations of the facades, characterizing it as a unique and refined example in the Triestine architectural panorama.
Construction Context
The construction of Palazzo Haggi is part of a broader real estate project promoted by Haggi Giorgio Aydinian between 1905 and 1909, with the realization of five large residential buildings for the emerging bourgeoisie, on lands belonging to the Mechitarist Fathers, an Armenian community long present in Trieste. This religious and cultural connection:
- Facilitated the acquisition of the areas;
- Also influenced some design details of the architecture.
Restoration and Conservation
Over the decades, Palazzo Haggi has undergone various phases of conservation. After a period of deterioration with parts of the plaster fallen and dangerous conditions, the entire building was subjected to a meticulous restoration of the facades, including:
- Anti-seismic adaptations;
- Plant modernizations.
The restoration has allowed to preserve the historical and artistic value of the palace, restoring it to new life with prestigious residential destinations, including 22 apartments, parking spaces, cellars, and scooter parking.
Historical Significance
Palazzo Haggi thus represents an important example of historical architecture articulated between tradition and modernity, a witness to the Armenian presence in Trieste and the vibrant commercial bourgeoisie that contributed to the development of the city in the transition between the 19th and 20th centuries.