Nabrežina
Nabrežina (Italian: Nabresina, renamed in 1927 as Aurisina) is a town in the karst part of the comune of Duino-Aurisina (Slovene: Devin-Nabrežina) near Trieste in a region of Slovene minority in the Free Territory of Trieste. It lies 15 kilometres north-west from Trieste and has a total of 2406 inhabitants (2003), according to the census 60% of them Slovenes.
Overview
The town of Nabrežina was inhabited in the Roman era because of nearby quarry with a well-known limestone in fact called the marble of Nabrežina, needed to build Roman Aquileia. The settlement was firstly mentioned as Lebrosina in 1308, and it grew in importance as the railway Vienna-Trieste was built in 1857. The world wars have devastated Nabrežina. Many of Slovene people including educated persons escaped to Yugoslavia during fascism. Before and during World War II, Italian fascist and later German Nazi regime deported many inhabitants to the concentration camps throughout Europe. After World War II, Nabrežina together with Trieste became part of the Free Territory of Trieste, and as this entity was disbanded in 1954, it eventually was once more annexed to Italy and is still suffering the aging and decrease of Slovene inhabitants.
The settlement lies on top of the karst brink cliffs which descend to the sea. Its height is 143 m. Around the village there are four rises named Ojstri vrh, Gradec, Babica (Babiza) and Brščice (Berciza). Nabrežina is the place of the typical karst architecture with houses made of limestone. The old village is situated around the church of Saint Roch.
It is also a birthplace of the Slovenian poet Igo Gruden and marine biologist Miroslav Zei. The Silesian linguist Florian Biesik spent the last decade of his life in the village.
See also
Coordinates: 45°45′1.35″N 13°40′28.51″E / 45.7503750°N 13.6745861°E