Rijeka — Decode D'Annunzio's Hidden Manifesto

Your quest begins at the Governor's Palace, an 1880 Neo-Renaissance building that served as Rijeka's historic administrative seat. This 3,000 m² edifice, adorned with allegorical statues, was the center of power for the Regency of Carnaro from September 1919 to December 1920 under D'Annunzio. It was here that the authorities of the Free State of Fiume held their meetings, and it is on its facade that the first clues of your GPS treasure hunt are revealed, plunging you directly into the Croatian cultural heritage of this period. Today, it houses the city's history museum, preserving traces of this turbulent era.

Continue your Rijeka tour on the Korzo, the 500-meter-long central promenade, pedestrianized since 1980 and lined with Baroque and Neo-Renaissance buildings. Since the 17th century, this place has been the beating heart of the historic district of the Kvarner region. In 1919, it became the epicenter of public gatherings and parades of D'Annunzian legionaries, who listened to the fiery speeches of their Comandante there. It is on the walls and pavements of this artery that messages hidden by D'Annunzio's followers might still reside, visible only through your app's augmented reality, revealing fragments of the manifesto.

Your journey then takes you to the Modello Palace, built in 1885-1887 by Modello insurance, a historicist building 60 meters wide. This edifice, restored in 2005, served as a venue for social gatherings and parties during the occupation of Fiume in 1919-1920, with a capacity of 500 people for events. The interior, decorated with frescoes and gilded stucco, testifies to the splendor of the era, even under occupation. Your investigations prompt you to look for marks left by conspirators, perhaps in the ornaments of its facade, or coded messages hidden in the architectural details typical of this period in Rijeka's history.

Not far, the City Tower (Gradski Toranj), built in the 13th century as a fortification and transformed into an 18-meter clock tower in the 19th century, is a historic entry point to the old city of Rijeka. Until 1750, it was the main gate. On its facade, the Latin inscription 'Sub unitate numquam peribit' engraved since 1758, takes on a special meaning in the context of D'Annunzio's occupation of Fiume in 1919-1920. It is here that urban legends and accounts from the era place secret caches, and your augmented reality tools might well reveal symbols forgotten by time, witnesses to the Regency of Carnaro. Then stroll through Stari Grad, the historic district with its medieval cobbled streets and 1st-century Roman remains. This 0.5 km² area, protected since 1990, was a perfect labyrinth for legionary hideouts and graffiti in 1920.

Your final stop leads you to the Port of Rijeka, Croatia's primary port, developed since 1719 under the Habsburgs, with a basin area of 20 hectares. It was the essential logistical base for D'Annunzio's legionaries during the occupation of Fiume in 1919. The central quays, 1.5 km from the Korzo, connected by historic boulevards, still echo with the arrivals and departures of ships transporting troops and supplies. By completing this thematic circuit of Rijeka, you will have not only decoded the manifesto, but also grasped the magnitude of Fiume's history from 1919-1920. This Rijeka family treasure hunt will have offered you an interactive city tour, revealing the secrets of its heritage and monuments in the Kvarner region.