By 177 BC, Trieste was under the control of Roman Empire. Trieste was granted the status of a colony under Julius Caesar. It was also he that recorded its name as Tergeste in his Comentarii de bello Gallico in 51 BC.
During the Middle Ages, Trieste grew into an important port and trade hub. Its role as the principal Austrian commercial port was emphasized by the construction of the Vienna-Trieste Railway, completed in 1857. By the end of the 19th century, Trieste was a buzzing cosmopolitan city, frequented by artists such as James Joyce, Zlatko Baloković and Italo Svevo. The city was a very real part of Mittel-Europa, with a cosmopolitan mix of Italian, German and Slavic cultures, and a feeling of being a border town that it retains today.
The thought of an Italian population under Austrian domination was a offense for Italian nationalists, which considered Trieste the main "unredeemed" territory; whence the term "irredentism" for the movement pleading for incorporation to the Italian state of every Italian population.
In 1921, after the end of World War I and the disintegration of Austria-Hungary, Trieste became a part of Italy.
The sights in Trieste include Miramare, a romantic castle built in 19th century for Austrian Archduke Maximilian and his wife. On the coastal road to Trieste is the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, operating under the aegis of UNESCO and IAEA.
Through a long period of time, Trieste was seen as being to periphery to the centres of Italian commerce and culture, and lost influence - however lately it has been gaining influence as Italy's window to the east (former Yugoslavia). The Kosovo War saw large numbers of refugees passing through the city, which is now negotiating co-operation with Slovenian ports and expanding business with former Yugoslavia.
