THE DUKE’S BATH

The pavilion of the Doge’s Bath is located on the eastern bank of the pier of the Miramare Museum and, although its name refers to the Duke of Aosta’s brief stay in the castle (1930-1937), the very scarce documentation that has emerged from the reconnaissance of the sources reveals some graphic plates from the end of the 19th century, one of unknown date in which reference is made to the project for the construction of a bathing hut at Miramare (Projekt zur Herstellung einer Badanlage im kaiser. Schloss von Miramar), and others dated 1899. From the scant information, it is not known whether the cabin was already part of Maximilian of Habsburg’s project. However, it would not at all be surprising if this deduction were confirmed and substantiated by future research, given the archduke’s love of the sea and the most varied forms of Nature testified to in his writings.
What can be deduced quite clearly from the iconographic investigation of the available material is that the pavilion was probably built on or near the site of what used to be the building for the coordination of the construction site for the entire section.

The cabin’s extraordinary position allows a unique view of the castle and the Gulf of Trieste: it is no coincidence that the modern name by which we know the tiny building, ducal in fact, tells us of a 1930s loisir, in which contact with the outdoors and sport was the preserve of the privileged classes only.