The University of Trieste and the Municipality of Trieste are inaugurating a multi-documental exhibition today at the Bastione Fiorito of the San Giusto Castle, recalling the salient moments and personalities of Trieste’s university century. The exhibition will be open to the public from 15th March to 1st September 2024.

EXHIBITION CATALOGUE 

To mark the University's Centenary celebrations, the University of Trieste and the Municipality of Trieste are to open the exhibition entitled ‘1924 - 2024. A century of history of the University of Trieste. Images and documents’. Proposed and coordinated by the University museum services (SMATS), the exhibition is brought into being with the contribution of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region of. 

‘With this exhibition,’ says municipal councillor Giorgio Rossi, ‘the new exhibition season at the Pomis Bastion continues, put together by the curator of the San Giusto Castle. An exhibition season that began last September and is aimed at exploring the history and excellence of Trieste in various ways. The exhibition that opens today, celebrating the Centenary of the University of Trieste, seals the fruitful collaboration between the University of Trieste and the Municipality of Trieste on the San Giusto hill.’

‘Visitors to the exhibition will have a clear perception of the historical, architectural and cultural heritage of which we are proud custodians,’ says Rector Roberto Di Lenarda. ‘Many will have the opportunity to recognise themselves and travel through glimpses of the past and discover anecdotes and aspects of our university that are perhaps still little known.’

‘With the exhibition, the University intends to place itself at the heart of the cultural and economic history of the city, to strengthen its ties to Trieste as a university city, thus opening up to the swirling change in communication, research, and the interconnections between education and the world of work in which we are all protagonists and participants’ - explains Tullia Catalan, curator of the exhibition and associate professor of contemporary history at the Department of Humanities at the University of Trieste.

The general coordination of the exhibition was supervised by Anna Krekic, the curator of San Giusto Castle, and Laura Sartori, the Centenary activities coordinator.

In a narrative between history, architecture and art, the exhibition itinerary - set up by Lorenzo Michelli – is made up of four distinct sections, balancing historical sources and aesthetic references.

The first historical section, curated by Tullia Catalan and Lorenzo Ielen, retraces the history of the 100th anniversary of the University of Trieste through a selection of images, documents and videos taken from the University's Historical Archive and from numerous public and private, local and regional archives.

Involved in an initial phase in the delicate vicissitudes arising from the conflicts over a disputed border and then affected by the cultural and sociological transformations of the 1960s and 1970s, the university has found its place in international openness, especially in the field of research and technical-scientific disciplines, which are amongst the most prized of the university’s current educational offerings.

The second architectural section, curated by Paolo Nicoloso and Marko Pogacnik, focuses on the 1938 designing of the university's central body, a building with marked symbolic overtones. Illustrated through the technical drawings of the time and some images, the section renders all the complexity and richness of the solutions devised by the designers. The initial iconographic programme, purged of references to the post-war fascist regime, now boasts the famous Minerva, which has become the university's most recognisable symbol over the years, built in 1956 by sculptor Marcello Mascherini, and two large reliefs on the façades of the left and right wings of the building.

The third section, curated by Massimiliano Spanu and Daniele Terzoli and dedicated to audiovisuals, further expands the contents through the screening of valuable documentaries and a film. Standing out for its importance and beauty is the film which has been unarchived - and thus restored to the history of Italian cinema - Pagine d'Università (University Pages), a 1956 Ferraniacolor (a colour film process developed in Italy by Ferrania.) It was made by Anna Gruber, an actress and director, screenwriter and writer from Trieste of international fame, commissioned by the University Film Centre. The film was found in the A. Hortis Civic Library’s Diplomatic Archive and Archival Funds.

The other films on show in the exhibition are taken from the Istituto Luce Historical Archive and from La Cineteca del Friuli - Friuli Venezia Giulia Film Archive. Archival research was carried out with the collaboration of the research centre La Cappella Underground.

The fourth and last section, curated by Massimo Degrassi and Lorenzo Michelli, is dedicated to art history and includes a selection of works - now preserved in the Rector's Gallery - presented in 1953 as part of the National Exhibition of Contemporary Italian Painting held at the University of Trieste. Finally, the final part of the exhibition offers a selection of the works donated to the University by thirty-five artists and collectors on this centenary, already partly illustrated in the event ‘A Trieste mi piaceva arrivare’ (I liked arriving in Trieste) on 20th December 2023.

The exhibition will be open to the public from 15th March to 1st September 2024. From the opening and until 31st March it will be open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from 1st April to 1st September daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

A visit to the exhibition is included in the entrance ticket to the San Giusto Castle (full price 6 euros; reduced price 4 euros).

Info: San Giusto Castle 

The University of Trieste today conferred an Honorary Master's Degree in Civil Engineering to Andrea Zampa.

The degree was conferred ‘for his significant contribution provided by experimental research and in the development of modern strategies based on the use of composite materials aimed at reducing the seismic vulnerability of existing masonry buildings.’

‘The prestigious accolade from the University of Trieste goes to me, but above all it concerns an entrepreneurial reality that has done and continues to do great work with the university,’ says Andrea Zampa. ‘A commitment that transforms thought and research into patents, products, methods, and systems that have an impact on regulations and the market, creating added value and wealth for the entire country system.’ 

Andrea Zampa is founding partner, president and technical director of Fibre Net SpA and Fibre Net Holding, a group that deals with the design, development and production of products and systems in fibre-reinforced composite materials, used in the building, energy, transport and industrial sectors. Thanks to his experience in the field of composite materials, in the early 2000s he conceived and engineered an innovative Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) product that is now widely used for structural reinforcement and seismic improvement of buildings and infrastructures. During his professional career, he has collaborated in numerous research and development activities with universities, laboratories and institutes all over the world with the aim of designing new products by applying state-of-the-art technologies and solutions. Today Zampa is a board member of professional associations and working groups of the CNR (National Research Council) and RILEM (International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Construction Materials, Systems and Structures).

Andrea Zampa's speech of acceptance is entitled: 'An experience in industrial research for the structural improvement of buildings: from concept to product standard'.

Present at the ceremony were Valter Sergo, Vice Rector of the University of Trieste, Paolo Gallina, Head of the Department of Engineering and Architecture, who gave the introductory speech, and Massimiliano Gei, full professor at the Department of Engineering and Architecture, who gave the laudation.

University of Trieste, Department of Engineering and Architecture

DEGREE COURSE IN ARCHITECTURE

Laboratory of Architecture and Construction Integrated Design – RRR Lab

VillageGo2025! Workshop Exhibition. Prefigurations for Gorizia - Nova Gorica European Capital of Culture 2025

Curated by: Luigi Di Dato, Alessio Bortot, Thomas Bisiani, Sonia Prestamburgo, Adriano Venudo

When: 19th January 2024 – 16th February 2024 (during building opening hours)

Where: Room 401, 4th floor, via Alviano 18, Gorizia Campus, 34170 Gorizia

The VILLAGE GO2025! Workshop was held last week as part of the Integrated Design Laboratory - RRR Lab for the degree course in Architecture at the University of Trieste. During the workshop, students produced a masterplan and projects for Gorizia - Nova Gorica European Capital of Culture 2025.

The students, guided by teachers and experts of national and international renown, worked on four possible prefigurations for an “urban village” in the cross-border urban system Gorizia and Nova Gorica. This urban village will welcome visitors to and host events and activities at the European Capital of Culture event. The four urban prefigurations were developed in the form of a masterplan and placed on a large-scale model of the two cities. The prefigurations propose architectural solutions for 21 specific sites across three themes (guest reception, entertainment and shows) and are displayed in 21 illustrative panels which detail the architectural and functional solutions. The solutions developed by students look to the future while maintaining a focused and systematic approach.

The projects consider not only the present, i.e. the preparation of an 'event-city', but also the future, the post-event, or rather, what will be left after the event and what effects this will have on the future of Gorizia and Nova Gorica. The possible implications for the city, its architecture, infrastructure, landscape and the re-use and valorisation of its existing heritage were discussed in a public event dedicated to technical debate and theoretical reflection. In attendance were lecturers from the UNITS Laboratory based in Gorizia (Thomas Bisiani, Alessio Bortot, Luigi Di Dato, Sonia Prestamburgo and Adriano Venudo), professors from the Milan Polytechnic University (Elvio Manganaro), the University of Naples Federico II (Alberto Calderoni) and representatives of various local authorities directly involved in the organisation of the Capital of Culture 2025 event (Municipality of Gorizia, Order of Engineers of Gorizia, Order of Architects of Gorizia and EGTC).

The designs from the workshop are displayed in an exhibition in via Alviano 18, room 401, Gorizia Campus. The exhibition is open to visitors until 16 February 2024.

For more information, please write to:

avenudo@units.it

tbisiani@units.it

This page has been temporarily translated using AI. A revised translation by the University Language Centre (CLA) will be uploaded soon.

Inaugurated two new laboratories in the field of quantum physics at the University of Trieste: the ArQuS - Artificial Quantum Systems Laboratory (VIDEO), where artificial quantum systems will be studied through the control of individual atoms, and the Quantum Communication and Information Laboratory (QCI - VIDEO), where research and technological development for new solutions in quantum communications over optical fiber and free space will be conducted.

The laboratories are located at the CNR premises in the Area Science Park, Basovizza campus, and are directed by Francesco Scazza, associate professor of material physics at the Department of Physics of UniTS, and Alessandro Zavatta, senior research scientist at the National Institute of Optics of CNR (INO-CNR).

These laboratories enrich the dedicated research facilities for the new master's curriculum in Quantum Science and Technologies, the curriculum in Material Physics, and the undergraduate Physics program. The University of Trieste boasts a recognized tradition in the field of quantum mechanics, supported by synergy with major international research institutions.

Friuli Venezia Giulia, and particularly Trieste with its university, plays a leading role in the field of quantum communications thanks to projects funded by the Region and coordinated by the University's "Quantum FVG" and "QuFree." The former aims to develop a regional fiber optic network for secure data transmission using quantum technology, with the associated QCI laboratory. The latter is an ambitious research program on quantum communication in the air and aims to pave the way for secure satellite connections.

ArQuS Laboratory - Cold atoms for quantum sciences and technologies

The ArQuS (Artificial Quantum Systems) Laboratory, the only one of its kind in Italy, is designed to create artificial quantum systems through precise control of individual ytterbium atoms. Through laser beams and magnetic fields, the atoms, identical by nature and very delicate, can be slowed in their movement and observed meticulously, offering a valuable "magnifying glass" for studying processes and phenomena otherwise inaccessible. This is made possible by state-of-the-art experimental equipment where atoms are isolated from the external environment and cooled to a temperature only a millionth of a degree above absolute zero, trapping them in literal traps based on laser light. Laser radiation, also a wave, if properly synchronized with the internal oscillation of the atom, can be used to control particles extremely precisely without destroying their quantum nature, but rather exploiting it for new technological applications.

Francesco Scazza, head of the laboratory, explains: "The quantum systems of cold atoms realized in the ArQuS laboratory can be used as prototypes for studying the interaction of a large number of quantum particles, creating so-called quantum simulators. Precise control over individual atoms can also be exploited to generate highly correlated states of matter, such as entangled states of many particles, an essential resource for future quantum computers and atomic clocks."

QCI Laboratory - Quantum networks for maximum security of information systems

The QCI laboratory serves research and technological development of new solutions for quantum communications over optical fiber and aims to train students in physics and engineering at the University of Trieste while collaborating with major research and training institutions in the field.

The field of quantum information, a new discipline born from the intersection of information science and quantum mechanics, is indeed a promising area that has seen significant progress in recent years.

Thanks to the instruments in the laboratory, which allow the generation of quantum cryptographic keys and experimentation with ultra-secure communications, researchers aim to lay the groundwork for creating true quantum networks for data manipulation and transmission capable of ensuring maximum security.

Angelo Bassi, full professor of theoretical physics, models, and mathematical methods at UniTS and coordinator of the projects that led to the creation of the laboratory, emphasizes: "While in traditional computer networks, data can be intercepted, in a quantum network, this is impossible: any intrusion would be immediately detected, a certainty guaranteed by the principles of quantum mechanics. Quantum communication systems have immense potential and strategic application scenarios in political and commercial contexts."

Alessandro Zavatta, head of the laboratory, adds: "Quantum communications represent an advanced and highly secure approach to information transmission, exploiting the peculiar characteristics of quantum physics. In our laboratory, thanks to the use of cutting-edge optical instrumentation, we control and manipulate individual photons, the building blocks of light, with extraordinary precision.

This ability to handle light at the level of single photons allows us to implement secure and inviolable communication schemes. In the QCI laboratory, we are currently developing innovative systems for the quantum distribution of cryptographic keys and for direct quantum communications, both in optical fiber and free space. It is encouraging to note that our commitment is not limited to countering current threats but extends to preventing potential risks arising from future technologies, such as the progress of quantum computers. By continuing on this path, we will contribute significantly to ensuring the security of communications even in the face of increasingly complex scenarios.