Caprin Giuseppe: Istria Nobilissima

Giuseppe Cprin: Istria Nobilissima

Caprin, Giuseppe, writer, journalist, publicist, irredentist (Trieste, 16.V.1843. - Trieste, 15.X.1904.)

He entered the Academy of Commerce. The events of 1859 increased autonomy at the regional level. Museums, schools, libraries, newspapers, etc. are opening. In such an atmosphere, young Caprin became interested in journalism. Napustio je trgovačku djelatnost da bi se zaposlio u tiskari Tršćanskog Lloyda. Intensive journalistic work resulted in the founding of the newspaper Il Pulcinella (June 18, 1864-January 21, 1865), which later turned into L'Arlecchino (II.4, 1865-January 6, 1866). At the same time, Il Pulcinella politico was published, which then changed its name to Il Pulcinella politico di Trieste. The latter was abolished on 17.II.1866. In the mentioned period, Caprin founded two more magazines (Il Pulcinella Fenice, Il Pulcinella del Popolo) which avoid the ban on writing about politics with allusions and riddles.

He left Trieste in 1866 to join the Garibaldi movement in Bari. He was seriously wounded in Bezzecca. After his recovery in 1867, he entered the editorial office of the liberal Trieste newspaper Il Cittadino. Long-lived was Libertà e lavoro, a magazine founded by Caprin on October 12, 1867. and which was not extinguished until March 13, 1884. He thus contributed to the awakening of the national consciousness of the Italian population of Friuli and Julian Venice. His intensive journalistic activity resulted in the publication of several short stories and novellas. In 1871, he started working with the newspaper Il Progresso, and he became its editor two years later. In 1878, he established cooperation with the newspaper L'Indipendente, of which he was the head until 1886.

He was particularly interested in history. His main work is L'Istria nobilissima, a comprehensive work on the history and artistic monuments of Istria with rich illustrations, printed posthumously in 1905. His wife Caterina Croatto Caprin notes in the preface that he did not get to see the fruit of his life's work, to which he was devoted until the last moment. The name of that book was used in 1967 by the Society of Poets, Writers and Artists Italian Union when launching a competition for art and culture. Istria Nobilissima is still held, and its main goal is to discover the literary talents of the Italian national community in Istria and Rijeka.

Streets are dedicated to him in Trieste, Poreč, Gradež (Grad) and Gorizia.