Religious diversity and the long nineteenth century: exploring port cities

Port cities have often become multi-cultural urban environments, and some of those around the Mediterranean have been characterized by a degree of religious diversity. Looking at Trieste and Odessa as exemplary of the multi-religious port cities that grew up in the nineteenth century, this article explores forms of interaction among the different minorities that inhabited these urban environments, focusing especially on “non-sacred spaces”. Furthermore, the article explores the theme of religious diversity and the city against the backdrop of theories that have focused on the rise of secularization, suggesting that religion played indeed a relevant role with the rise of the modern world and the impact of urbanization.