Piazza della Transalpina

Piazza della Transalpina
Trg Evrope

Nova Gorica railway station and the middle of the square
Namesake	Transalpina Railway[1][2]
Location	Gorizia, Italy Nova Gorica, Slovenia
Coordinates	45°57′18″N 13°38′05″E / 45.95500°N 13.63472°E / 45.95500; 13.63472Coordinates: 45°57′18″N 13°38′05″E / 45.95500°N 13.63472°E / 45.95500; 13.63472

The station in early 20th century, when it was crossed by Gorizia Tramway ^[3]

Piazza della Transalpina^[4] (Italian for "Transalpine Square"), or Trg Evrope^[5] (Slovene for "Europe Square"), is a square divided between the towns of Gorizia, Italy, and Nova Gorica, Slovenia. The railway station of Nova Gorica is located at the eastern end of the square, in Slovenian side.

History

Overview

From 1947 (Treaty of Paris) until 2007 the square was divided by an international border between Italy and Yugoslavia (Slovenia since 1991).^[6] Crossed by a border wall until 2004,^[7] movement on the square is now free because both Italy and Slovenia are EU members and parts of the Schengen Area.^[8] Before 21 December 2007, free movement was only allowed within the square provided that a person that entered the square from one country returned to that country. An approved border crossing was located 100 m from the square. It is now no longer needed and has not been in use since 2007.

Naming

The square, in which is located Nova Gorica station, until 1947 Gorizia Montesanto,^[4] was named after the Transalpine Railway,^[1][2] Jesenice-Trieste. The naming of the square is somewhat controversial because Slovenia suggested "Europe Square", but Italy has preferred to use the old historical name Piazza della Transalpina.

Location

In the Slovenian side the square is crossed, parallelly to the station building, by a road named "Kolodvorska pot". The partly parallel Italian road is "Via Ugo Foscolo", that continues as "Via Caterina Percoto". Always on the Italian side, "Via Giuseppe Caprin", that starts in "Via Montesanto" ends in front of the station.

Events

In summers, the square is regularly used for concerts, public meetings, and public demonstrations or protests against local politics or current events.

Gallery

• 

  Metal plaque installed in 2004 in the middle of the square at the border point, once crossed by the "Gorizia Wall"

• 

  Detail of the metal plaque

• 

  The western corner of the square (and station) from "Via Ugo Foscolo" (Gorizia). The remaining parts of the wall are shown.

• 

  From left: Vittorio Brancati (mayor of Gorizia), Mirko Brulc (Mayor of Nova Gorica), Romano Prodi (member of the European Commission) and Dragan Valencic (mayor of Šempeter-Vrtojba); during the ceremony of the fall of the border (2004)

See also

• Nova Gorica railway station
• Bohinj Railway (Transalpina)

References

External links

Media related to Piazza della Transalpina at Wikimedia Commons