Maria Theresa of Austria in 1751 with a decree authorized the construction of a temple owned by the Greek-Illyrian Brotherhood dedicated to San Spiridione and the Holy Trinity in the Teresian village, next to Ponterosso and near the Church of Sant’Antonio Nuovo. In 1781 the community was divided into two groups and divided into two places of worship: the church of San Nicolò for the Greeks and the church of San Spiridione for the Serbian-Orthodox component.
In 1861, following the burial of the salt pans in the homonymous village, the temple of San Spiridione was demolished. The design of the new church was entrusted to the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice and the designs of the architect Carlo Maciacchini (1818-1899) were chosen. The “License of Tolerance” issued in 1761 by Maria Teresa prohibited non-Catholic cults from opening to the public from the main road, but the architect Maciacchini elaborated the main facade with the entrance on Via San Spiridione and in 1860 obtained the derogation from indications of the Pact and the approval of its project.
The new church has a Byzantine-oriental style structure with a plan in the shape of a Greek cross and on the corners 4 bell towers that support the centric dome. The whole external part of the temple is covered with stones from the quarries of Santa Croce in the Carso and Brijuni in Istria while the decorative part was made by the Milanese Antonio Caremmi.
Above the main entrance, in the mosaic on a gold background, Saint Spiridione, titular of the church, is depicted, while in the lunette and in the niches above the northern entrance, on the left side of the temple, you can admire
the Archangel Michael and the saints Athanasius and Gregorio and on the right the Madonna with the saints Basilio and Giovanni Crisostomo. For economic reasons, the use of mosaics was limited only on the external facades while inside, to give the same effect, the frescoes were painted in tempera and oil with the same technique as the mosaic. The paintings depict scenes of Christ and the life of St. Spyridon.
The interior of the church is richly painted with frescoes on a gold background depicting scenes of Christ and the life of San Spiridione by Giuseppe Bertini. For economic reasons, the use of mosaics was limited only on the external facades, while inside the frescoes were painted with the same technique to give the same effect.
In particular, you can admire the paintings of Christ with the apostles, in the main apse, while, in the one on the left, St. Spyridon during the first ecumenical council of Nicaea (325 AD) and, on the vault of the dome, the Christ Pantocrator.
The four icons covered in gold and silver, made in Russia between 1846 and 1850, were already present in the first church and depict St.Spiridione, the Madonna and Child, Christ the King and the Annunciation.
Many illustrious personalities linked to the Serbian Orthodox community enriched the interior of the temple with precious gifts such as the future Tsar of Russia, Paul I, who on the occasion of a visit to Trieste, in 1782, gave a large silver votive lamp that today hangs at the entrance to the church. The temple, completed in 1869, 40 meters high, 38 meters long and 31 wide, can accommodate up to 1600 faithful and is the most important Serbian Orthodox church in Italy. Since 2011 it has been part of the diocese of Italy, Austria and Switzerland, with a bishopric in Vienna.
