The University of Trieste and the University of Zadar, in collaboration with the Italian Association of Collectors of Antique Cartography "Roberto Almagià" in Rome, are organizing a unique exhibition presenting a collection of antique nautical charts of the Adriatic, all originals from the period and owned by private collectors.

Following its great success in Zadar, the exhibition will be held in Trieste's Porto Vecchio during the "Barcolana57" regatta, opening on Sunday, October 5, 2025, at 6:00 PM, in the Leonor Fini Room, Warehouse 26.

The exhibition, titled "THE SEA THAT UNITES. The maritime charts that shaped the image of the Adriatic from the 16th to the 19th century", features over fifty nautical documents and is accompanied by a trilingual volume (Italian, Croatian, and English) available in print and in open-access digital format from EUT Università di Trieste. The publication is divided into two parts: an introductory essay and a commented cartographic catalogue. The authors of the volume and the curators of the exhibition are professors Orietta Selva and Dragan Umek of the Department of Humanities at the University of Trieste and professor Josip Faričić of the University of Zadar.

The maps on display in the exhibition are produced by several cartographic centers, each employing different methodologies and conceptual frameworks. Despite their differences, they share a common goal: the Adriatic Sea, one of the most vital areas of the Mediterranean. In these representations, the Adriatic is not merely depicted, but constructed and imagined, incorporated into the mental maps of individuals and communities. These nautical charts intertwine the physical and the symbolic, creating a layered reality encompassing both concrete geographies and imaginary spaces, tangible evidence of the exchange of ideas and cultures. Cartography thus becomes a multidimensional bridge, connecting science and technology, art and geography, maritime affairs and other economic activities. As instruments of cultural exchange and convergence between peoples, states, and regions along the Adriatic coast, these maps serve as communication media conveying diverse messages. Their rich informational value confirms the role of cartography not only as a technical science, but also as a formative element in shaping the social and economic life of communities.

The exhibition demonstrates the active collaboration between the Universities of Trieste and Zadar with the Roberto Almagià Association, which, thanks to the generosity of its members, makes a vast cartographic heritage available to scholars and the general public, including rare and unique specimens, carefully preserved and usually unknown and inaccessible. It is precisely from the sharing and connection between research, collection, and passion for historical maps of the Adriatic Sea that the entire initiative, as well as the choice of the title "The Sea that Unites", comes to life.

The exhibition will remain open until October 12, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m..