In the 18th century, Austro-Hungary commissioned the construction of a deep-water port at Trieste and so ended Venice’s long domination of the Adriatic Sea. Following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after World War I, Trieste was ceded to Italy. The city’s most prominent buildings date from the Hapsburg era, the most beautiful being Miramare Castle which is set amid beautifully landscaped gardens overloooking the sea, and is open to the public.