Former Refugee Camp in Padriciano

The National Museum of the Refugee Camp of Padriciano is an essential place for understanding the history of the Istrian, Julian and Dalmatian exiles who arrived in Italy in the aftermath of the Second World War.

The building was originally intended to accommodate the Anglo-American armed forces stationed in the Free Territory of Trieste, but it was soon abandoned and later converted to address the refugee emergency of the 1950s, which intensified following the definitive annexation of Zone B to Yugoslavia. The Refugee Camp was closed in the 1970s and has since preserved its original structure, with the exception of the wooden barracks where the refugees slept, which were later demolished. Opened in 2004, the Museum preserves the memory of this place and its history.

The exhibition begins with the faces and names of numerous exiles, guiding visitors through historical photographs and informative panels that explore these events in greater depth. The museum also displays a selection of personal belongings from the warehouses of Trieste’s Old Port, together with a reconstruction of a living unit, offering insight into the difficult living conditions endured by the refugees housed here.