Molo Audace (Bold Wharf), Trieste (must see)

Some of the best views can be caught from the pier Bold Wharf (Molo Audace) in Trieste. Snow-capped mountains can be seen across the water. There is a view of the Unity of Italy Square (Piazza Unita d'Italia). Marine traffic on the pier is light. It is a magical place for a stroll and a breath of fresh air at any time of day and in any season.

In 1740, the ship San Carlo sank in Trieste harbor, quite close to the shore. Rather than removing the wreckage, it was decided to use the hulk as the basis of a shoreside pier. The pier was built and named the San Carlo Pier. At first, it measured 312 feet long and was attached to the shore by a small bridge.

By 1861 the pier had lengthened to 807 feet. The bridge was gone. The quay was attached firmly to the shore. The San Carlo pier was busy with the constant docking and undocking and the movement of people and goods.

In 1922 the pier was renamed Bold Wharf (Molo Audace) in honor of the destroyer Audace, the first ship of the Italian Navy to arrive in Trieste on November 3, 1918. The Audace's anchor is displayed at the Victory lighthouse today.

A bronze compass rose was erected on the pier in 1925. It bore the inscription "Cast in bronze enemy III November MCMXXV." The rose is supported by a white stone column with a plaque commemorating the restoration from damages of World War II.