Province of Trieste

The Province of Trieste (provincia di Trieste; Tržaška pokrajina; provincie di Triest; provincia de Trieste) was a province in the autonomous Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of Italy. Its capital was the city of Trieste. It had an area of and it had a total population of 234,668 (as of June 2016). It had a coastal length of . Abolished in 2017, it was reestablished in 2019 as the Regional decentralization entity of Trieste (ente di decentramento regionale di Trieste; enota deželne decentralizacije Trst; ent di decentrament regjonâl di Triest), and was reactivated on 1 July 2020. There are 6 communes in the province. After the dissolution of the Western Roman Empire, the area of the province of Trieste was ruled by the Ostrogoths, Eastern Romans (Byzantines), Lombards and by the Franks. With the advent of the Habsburgs (13th century) the territory was divided between the lords of Duino, Trieste, San Dorligo della Valle and Muggia. During the reign of Maria Theresa of Austria and, subsequently, Joseph II, the maritime trades were increased with institution of the free port. In 1809, the area was ceded to France after the defeat of Austria in that year. After the French definitive defeat, the communes of Duino, Aurisina, Sgonico and Monrupino, which used to be part of Carniola, were annexed to that of Gorizia and Gradisca, while Trieste became a direct city of the Austrian Empire. San Dorligo della Valle and Muggia became part of Istria. World War I left the territory of the province almost untouched, although fierce battles were fought just on its north-westernmost edges. The whole area was occupied by Italy in November 1918, in the aftermath of Austria's defeat in World War I. It was officially annexed to Italy with the treaty of Rapallo of 1920, which also assigned all of the former Austrian Littoral to Italy. Julian March The Province of Trieste was first established in 1920. It comprised the territory of the province at the time of its abolition, as well as significant portions of the Kras plateau and the region of Inner Carniola in present-day Slovenia.