TRG EVROPE / EUROPE SQUARE
SLO
Trg Evrope je eden najprepoznavnejših prostorov obeh Goric – simbolna in fizična točka stika, delitve in ponovnega srečanja. Njegova zgodba je povezana z Bohinjsko progo, železniško povezavo med Trstom in Jesenicami ter naprej do Prage, ki je leta 1906 pomenila velik infrastrukturni preskok v regiji in pomembno povezavo med Srednjo Evropo in Jadranom. Ob otvoritvi proge je bila zgrajena železniška postaja, danes najstarejša javna zgradba v Novi Gorici. Na slovesnosti je bil prisoten tudi prestolonaslednik Franc Ferdinand.
~1919 Fotografije iz arhiva italijanskega Narodnega združenja borcev za osvobodilno vojno - www.combattentiliberazione. it Associazione Nazionale Combattenti Guerra di Liberazione inquadrati nei reparti regolari delle FF.AA. Sezione Roma Capitale MOVM
"Salvo D'Acquisto - Gastone Giacomini"
Po drugi svetovni vojni, septembra 1947, je pariška mirovna pogodba začrtala novo državno mejo – in ta je zarezala prav preko trga ter prekinila povezanost mesta s svojim zaledjem. Sprva je bila meja označena z bodečo žico, pozneje pa jo je zamenjala betonska ograja z železno ograjo – »mali berlinski zid«, kakor so mu pogosto rekli. Na pročelju postaje je dolga leta visela rdeča zvezda z napisom »Mi gradimo socializem«.
‘60
Vir: Fond Giovanni Viola
Po videmskem sporazumu (1955) so domačini lahko prehajali mejo z dovolilnicami, sčasoma so bili vzpostavljeni tudi posebni mejni prehodi.
Fotografija iz spletne strani:
https://10febbraiodetroit.wordpress.com/2014/11/13/a-25-anni-dalla-caduta-del-muro-di-berlino-ricordiamo-il-muro-di-gorizia/
Trg je kmalu postal prostor simbolnih dejanj – znana je fotografija iz 80. let, ko so mladi odbojkarji iz obeh strani meje namesto mreže uporabili kar mejno ograjo.
Vir: Blog 10 febbraio Detroit - A 25 anni dalla caduta del Muro di Berlino ricordiamo il Muro di Gorizia - članek objavljen 13. novembra 2014
A do prave preobrazbe trga je prišlo šele po padcu železne zavese. Leta 2004, ob vstopu Slovenije v Evropsko unijo, je bil ravno ta trg izbran kot kraj praznovanja največje širitve EU. Ograja je bila odstranjena, meja pa označena z vrsto kamnitih plošč, ki seka trg in poteka mimo krožnega mozaika, delo tržaškega umetnika Franka Vecchieta.
Kljub odpravi fizičnih ovir se je popolna svoboda gibanja uveljavila šele decembra 2007, ko je Slovenija vstopila v schengensko območje. A med pandemijo covida-19 je Gorici ponovno začasno ločevala meja – znova so se pojavile ograje in policijska nadzorovanja.
Med pandemijo covida-19 je Gorici ponovno začasno ločevala meja.
Fotograma iz filma GO-VID, ko vidiš spet mejo (Sara Terpin in Carlo Ghio).
vir Facebook
In eden prvih pocovidnih dogodkov na trgu je bil spet povezan z odbojko: prav tu so slovenski in italijanski odbojkarski navdušenci 9. septembra 2022 na velikem ekranu spremljali polfinale moškega svetovnega prvenstva med Slovenijo in Italijo.
Trg, kjer je nekdaj potekala tiha vojna simbolov, je danes prizorišče skupnega življenja, javni prostor, kjer se vrstijo kulturni dogodki, športne prireditve in simbolna srečanja.
ENG
Piazza della Transalpina / Trg Evrope is one of the most recognisable landmarks of both Gorizias – a symbolic and physical point of contact, division, and reunion. Its story is closely tied to the Bohinj Railway, the rail line connecting Trieste and Jesenice, and onward to Prague. Opened in 1906, it marked a major infrastructural leap for the region and a vital link between Central Europe and the Adriatic. To mark the occasion, a railway station was built – today the oldest public building in Nova Gorica. The opening ceremony was attended by Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
After the Second World War, in September 1947, the Paris Peace Treaty established a new state border – cutting directly across the square and severing the city’s connection with its hinterland. At first, the border was marked with barbed wire, later replaced by a concrete wall topped with an iron fence – often referred to as the “little Berlin Wall”. For many years, a red star bearing the slogan “We are building socialism” hung on the façade of the station.
Following the Udine Agreement (1955), local residents were allowed to cross the border with special permits, and specific border crossings were gradually established. The square soon became a site of symbolic gestures – a well-known photograph from the 1980s shows young volleyball players from both sides of the border using the fence itself in place of a net. The square underwent its true transformation after the fall of the Iron Curtain. In 2004, as Slovenia joined the European Union, it was chosen as the symbolic site to celebrate the EU’s biggest expansion. The fence was dismantled, and the border was traced with a line of stone slabs running across the square, passing by a circular mosaic designed by Trieste-based artist Franko Vecchiet.
Despite the removal of physical barriers, full freedom of movement was only established in December 2007, when Slovenia joined the Schengen Area. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the border temporarily reappeared in Gorizia – fences and police checkpoints returned. One of the first post-pandemic events held in the square was once again linked to volleyball: on 9 September 2022, Slovene and Italian volleyball fans gathered here to watch the semi-final of the Men’s World Championship between Slovenia and Italy on a large screen.
The square, once a silent battleground of symbols, is today a space of shared life – a public venue that hosts cultural events, sporting occasions, and symbolic gatherings.