Trieste (Slav. Térst), the most important seaport of Austro-Hungary, and the most considerable trading town on the Adriatic, stands at the head of the Gulf of Trieste, an arm of the Gulf of Venice, 370 miles by rail SSW. of Vienna. In 1849 it was constituted an imperial free city, and attached and belonging to it is a territory 36 sq. m. in extent. The city of Trieste, in which the population of the district is almost wholly massed, consists of the old town, the new town, or Theresienstadt, and two suburbs, Josefstadt and Franzenstadt. The old town, built on the slope of a steep hill, crowned by a castle (1508–1680), is distinguished by its narrow streets and black walls. It contains the cathedral, a Byzantine edifice built between the 5th and 14th centuries, into the walls of which stones bearing Roman inscriptions and carving have been built, and the tower of which is said to rest on the foundation of a temple of Jupiter. The new town, with broad streets built in regular parallelograms and handsome houses, occupies the plain that fronts the sea. Between these two divisions runs the Corso, the chief thoroughfare. The Tergesteo (1840), in the new town, is a splendid modern edifice, containing an exchange and reading-rooms, and the offices of the Austrian Lloyd's (see Vol. VI. p. 675). Trieste, which from 1719 till 1st July 1891 was a free port, has a very fine new harbour (1868–83). In 1890 there entered 7873 vessels of 1,471,464 tons, and cleared 7856 of 1,457,174. The manufactures are very extensive, including shipbuilding, rope-making, and the manufacture of soap, rosoglio, white-lead, leather, &c. A great agricultural exhibition was held at Trieste in 1882. Pop. (1810) 29,908; (1880) 144,844; (1890) 158,344, nearly all Catholics, and mostly Italian-speaking.
Trieste, the ancient Tergeste or Tergestum, was of importance under the Romans, and first receives historical mention 51 B.C., when it was overrun and plundered by neighbouring tribes. In 1382 it passed finally into the hands of Austria. It owes its prosperity chiefly to the Emperor Charles VI., who constituted it a free port, and to Maria Theresa. Since the year 1816 Trieste has borne the title of the 'Most Loyal of Towns.' Charles Lever and Sir Richard Burton were consuls here.