FAQ – Trieste, Italy

Series Introduction

As you might imagine, we are asked many questions over the course of meeting with various individuals, small groups, and church mission committees. These questions cover a wide variety of topics. Why Italy? Where is Trieste? Why don’t you just get a job? Where will the boys go to school? What does language and culture training look like for you? In this FAQ series, we will answer some of these questions.

We’ve had lots of people ask us about Trieste, where we will soon be helping with a new church plant. So, we thought it would be fun to do a little featurette about this unique Italian city. We previously ministered in Milan, another major city in northern Italy. Although we were aware of Trieste, we were never able to visit. But now, this city is calling our name, and we cannot wait to call it home!

Trieste

Trieste is an important port city of about 210,000 people. It is located on the very northeastern tip of Italy, which curves around to the east side of the Adriatic sea. It lies just inside the Slovenian border, and Croatia is just 20 minutes to the south.

The history of this city is remarkable. Because of its wealth and strategic location on the Adriatic sea, it has been part of many different empires over the course of history. These include the Venetians, the Roman Empire, the Lombards, the Franks, the Habsburg Empire, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Whew! That’s the abbreviated list. The city has also been occupied by many different countries as it’s endured war after war, including the Germans during WWII and the Allied Forces for a short time after the war. And while Trieste is definitely Italian, it also bears the beautiful marks of of these rich cultural influences to create a city that is truly one-of-a-kind.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Trieste became a hub for the arts. Music and literature have flourished there, and over the years has been home to many famous writers, architects, musicians, and artists. Trieste isn’t a typical tourist destination in Italy. However, many who have experienced this amazing city say it is a far more beautiful and peaceful alternative than tourism saturated Venice.

Faith in Trieste

As we’ve shared with many of you, Italy is only 1% evangelical Christian. But the majority of those believers are located in the southern regions of Italy. It is estimated that in the northern regions, the percentages are closer to 0.1%-0.4%. There are far more bible believing churches in our small hometowns of 8,000 people than there are in the city of Trieste.