Ropes and Memories

By interfase, 22 August, 2025
Borsatti-Ponterosso-Corde-Cartolina

It’s natural to wonder: why are the Bora ropes gone? Maybe because the Bora isn’t as fierce as it once was? Or perhaps because the posts were replaced by newer ones with chains? Maybe these posts are now more useful as parking deterrents or for pedestrian safety? Perhaps because nowadays people drive more when it’s windy, while in the past they walked more? Or simply because the ropes were sometimes stolen? Most likely, the ropes disappeared for all these reasons combined.

In the seven municipal depots of Trieste, the posts were labeled with wooden tags showing where the ropes were to be placed, how many posts were needed, and the length of rope required. For example, at Via dell’Istria 33, the plan called for 2 double posts, 11 single posts, and 35 meters of rope.
On this “vintage map” you can discover some of the central spots where the ropes once stood.

 

Where they were placed

On this map, you can see the locations where the ropes were set up on days of Bora wind.

Subtitle
Until a few decades ago, white-and-red posts with long ropes offered a lifeline against the Bora’s fierce gusts. These were the famous Bora ropes. From September to March you could spot them along Via Carducci, in Piazza Unità, in Piazza della Borsa, and in all the city’s most exposed places. On some sidewalks you can still see the fixtures where the ropes once hung.