In the first part of the history of the Poli family, we described their origins and the first documents that refer to the genealogy of the current owner and General Manager of the Tritone Hotel, Dr Walter Poli. In the second part of the history, the growth of the family business in the shipbuilding field was described, first in Chioggia and then, for economic reasons, throughout the Upper Adriatic, with a mention of the landing of Francesco and Luigi Poli in Istria. This third chapter continues from this point in the saga.

This history was collected and documented in the volume “The Paulus – Polo – Poli” by the scholar Sergio Piva, published in 2012 by Nuova Scintilla and available at the Hotel Boutique.

THE POLI AT CAPODISTRIA

At the beginning of the nineteenth century, Francesco Poli was certainly fascinated by the city of Capodistria, its port and its beach, but at the same time he was surprised by its lack of fully equipped shipyards. By the 1830s Francesco Poli was already present in the city’s first real shipyard, owned by Agostino Piscitello: at the beginning he worked occasionally, keeping his residence and family in Chioggia. But in 1838 he settled definitively in Capodistria and invested all his resources in the construction of a large shipyard. In 1840, his son Luigi married a local girl, Diana Chiara Gajetta from Istria, whose father owned the ferry rights between Capodistria and Trieste.

The development of the shipbuilding industry, thanks to the boost to ship traffic and the stability of the Hapsburg Government, allowed Luigi Poli to grow in the Piscitello shipyard and to become a partner in 1851. It was very profitable throughout the following decade thanks to the launch of numerous brigantines and other smaller boats.

FROM 1860 TO 1911 – FROM SUCCESS TO THE END OF SHIPBUILDING

The beginning of the 1860s, given the extraordinary historical events of the time, was less successful than the previous decade, but activities resumed around 1867 and, with the arrival of new orders, the Piscitello-Poli shipyard had plenty of work. Construction, restoration and caulking kept the partners busy until Piscitello retired in 1869. Now completely owned by the Poli, the yard launched countless vessels destined to reach the main commercial ports of the time: New York, Mexico, Antilles, Caribbean, Brazil and, closer to home, Greece, United Kingdom and Turkey. In some of these commercial adventures, besides being the shipbuilder, Luigi Poli was also a partner and shipowner. In 1876, on the occasion of the launch of the barque Philadelphia (142 French feet long, about 43 metres) the newspaper La Provincia dell’Istria wrote:

This is the largest ship built in the yards of Capodistria: and Messrs Poli, father and son, have taken the opportunity to demonstrate their expertise.

In 1881, Francesco Poli designed and built a steamboat for the nascent Società Cittadina di Navigazione a Vapore, which was planning the daily connection between Capodistria and Trieste. The transport service began in September 1882, to the great satisfaction and gratitude of the whole city.

Throughout the last decade of the nineteenth century and the first decade of the twentieth century, the shipbuilding activity of the Poli grew and developed with great success. It was only with the advent of metalworking in the shipyards that the focus on timber construction declined. The ship Gradenigo, the last vessel of the Poli shipyards, was launched in 1911.

In 90 years of activity, Francesco and Luigi Poli launched more than 80 ships in Capodistria, promoting the economic growth of the city.

These successes also left their mark on the Hotel Tritone, with the model ships that Guests can admire in the Hall, corridors and large ballroom, made by the Poli family on the occasion of the Provincial Exhibition of Capodistria in 1910.

To learn more about the Poli family and its activities at the Hotel Tritone, you can write to us here or call (+39) 049 8668099