Water, land, shops, three routes to pass on the history, traditions, way of life and economy of Istria, Fiume (modern-day Rijeka) and Dalmatia from prehistoric times through to the peace treaties of 1947.
These former Italian lands then became part of Yugoslavia, and a substantial part of the Italian-speaking population was forced to continue their lives elsewhere, taking as much as possible with them.
In the new exhibition hosted in Warehouse 26, the household goods previously stored in Warehouse 18 have now found their place. The latter were made famous by the show by Simone Cristicchi who deserves credit for making the events of the exodus known to a wider public elsewhere in Italy.
Upon entering we find ourselves in front of an enormous tangle of chairs, symbolizing 2000 square metres of household goods temporarily deposited by the refugees after their exodus, while waiting to find definitive accommodation. Some of them, however, have never returned to reclaim their things and the mass of furniture and objects from everyday life have become their memorial, capable of arousing powerful emotions.
To get a more complete idea of the impressive nature of the pile of household goods, suffice to say what we see today is just one-eighth of the original, the rest being lost in a fire and in various moves over time.
1. The symbol of Istria is the little goat discovered by Pietro Kandler; It is a bronze of Greek production coming from Piran, and was made between the end of the 5th and the beginning of the 4th century B.C.;
2. Ornaments of the headwear typical of a bride Dignano (Vodnjan) (the novissa);
3. Possessions abandoned by exiles at warehouses in Trieste. At the museum you can see a selection of furniture and everyday objects that are kept in large quantities at Magazzino 18 in the Porto Vecchio.
