On July 13th 1920, in Trieste, the fascists destroyed a building known as «Balkan», an outpost
of the Slovenian community. This essay studies the symbolic legacy of that assault, as it was one
of the first fascist squads actions in Italy. The memory of the «Balkan» is analysed through its
connections with important squads leaders’ careers, the effects of Trieste’s urban expansion and
the fascist cult of the fallen «squadristi». The timeline of this study stretches until the Second
World War, when the fascists attack on the Slovenian and Croatian population hit a new peak.
