Image © Cristian Deklic
Trieste, Italy 2025
Behind the walls of an elegant urban villa in historic Trieste, close to the Adriatic Sea, lies the Sartorio Museum. It was once the family home of the Sartorios, a merchant dynasty who established themselves – very successfully – as part of the local elite during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Units
14
Originally built in 1791 and later renovated in a neoclassical style, the villa is a highly evocative time capsule. The family’s great wealth and cultured tastes enabled them to fill the residence with collections of fine art, ceramics, jewelry and furniture. Much of this remains on display today. A wander around the rooms and shady garden immerses visitors in the sophisticated lifestyle of bygone upper-class Trieste.
Back in 1998, Goppion undertook a project in two rooms at the Museum, providing the exhibition design, engineering and realization of climate-controlled display cases and a series of steel chests with air-conditioned drawers. In 2025, we returned – this time to provide display cases for a major new acquisition: the Lokar Collection.
The new exhibit features more than 550 pieces of 18th-century European porcelain, donated by Giovanni Lokar and Sonja Polojaz. The collection features works from more than 80 European porcelain manufacturers, spanning the beginnings of porcelain production in Germany in 1709 through to the mid-19th century. It is probably one of the most complete porcelain collections in the world today.
Goppion provided 14 display cases of two types: two bespoke arc-shaped Class C models, which are free-standing, and a further 12 wall-standing models. All display cases have 0.1 AER airtightness, and have been fitted with internal LED panels to enhance the legibility of the fine porcelain objects on display within.
Image © Cristian Deklic
One of the key challenges of this project was the installation itself. The display cases were required for the second floor of the Museum, which, unlike larger institutions, does not have a dedicated logistics infrastructure. Access was limited to a very small window, and internal circulation routes included narrow passages and wooden floors that required particular care.
The display cases had to be delivered fully assembled, which made maneuvering them into place a complex and delicate operation. Fortunately, our extensive experience working with heritage buildings of all sorts of configurations allowed us to complete the transportation and installation operation safely and seamlessly.
The Sartorio family line ended in 1946, with the death of the last heir, Anna Segrè Sartorio. She bequeathed the villa, garden and collections to the municipality, which led to the inauguration of the Museum in 1954. More than 70 years later, her action ensures the Sartorio name still endures as part of Trieste’s rich cultural legacy.
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