Trieste National Hall

The Narodni dom in Trieste (Italian: Casa del Popolo or Casa nazionale ) was the People's House and Cultural Centre of the Slovenian population in the at that time Austria - Hungary belonging to the city. It was located since 1907 in a purpose-built 1901-1904 according to the plans of Max Fabiani palace in Piazza Caserma (today Piazza Oberdan ). The building complex was home to various Slovenian facilities, including a theater, a library, a bank, as well as the Hotel Balkan. After the annexation of Trieste to Italy in 1918 and the associated Zwangsitalianisierung the local Slavic population there have been repeated violent clashes between Italians and Slavic ethnic groups. On July 13, 1920 was burned down by Italian fascists of the Narodni Dom as one of the national symbols of the Slovenes in Trieste. The attack was initiated by the later Secretary of the National Fascist Party ( Partito Nazionale Fascista ) Francesco Giunta and was in retaliation after two Italian soldiers had been killed by Yugoslav security forces during riots in Split.