Trieste's Magazzino 18 to Become Museum of Istrian-Dalmatian Exile

Located in Trieste's Porto Vecchio, Magazzino 18 contains a vast collection of belongings abandoned by refugees from Istria and Dalmatia who sought refuge in Italy following World War II. Between 1945 and the 1950s, approximately 300,000 individuals left their homes as these regions were transferred to Yugoslavia, with around 70,000 settling in Trieste. Their possessions were kept for potential reclamation, yet many never returned. In the 1970s, the remaining items were handed over to IRCI. By the summer of 2026, Trieste intends to unveil a museum dedicated to this history. Historian Gloria Nemec discovered evidence of disorientation among the exiles, whose experiences were marked by economic struggles and stigma. The Day of Remembrance, initiated in 2004, sought to promote a unified memory but has also sparked nationalist interpretations.