The Cosulich Line, formally the Cosulich Societa Triestina di Navigazione, is a
steamship
A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamships ...
line that was based in
Trieste,
Italy. The company had been founded in 1889 by Antonio F. Cosulich's son as a family business. In 1903 as Unione Austriaca di Navigazione, more commonly called the Austro-American or Austro-Americana Line, when Trieste was under the rule of
Austria-Hungary. After the
first World War, the company became an Italian-based shipping company. In 1932 the company was forced to merge with the
Lloyd Sabaudo
The Lloyd Sabaudo was a Shipping transport line formed in Turin in 1906. It began passenger service in 1907, expanding to link Italy to ports in Asia as well as North and South America. In 1932 it merged with several other Italian shipping lines ...
and the
Navigazione Generale Italiana, to form the
Italian Line.
History

In 1857 Captain Antonio F. Cosulich launched the family business with the 500-tonne ship ''Fides''
[https://www.cosulich.com/history Cosulich] built-in
Cherso, a Kavner Island of Istria.
[https://maritime-union.com/company/fratelli-cosulich-spa Maritime Union] The company's first four ships were purchased from England in the year it was founded. The first voyages took place every six weeks and went from
Trieste to
Mobile
Mobile may refer to:
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* Mobile, Alabama, a U.S. port city
* Mobile County, Alabama
* Mobile, Arizona, a small town near Phoenix, U.S.
* Mobile, Newfoundland and Labrador
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* Mobile ...
,
Brunswick,
Charleston
Charleston most commonly refers to:
* Charleston, South Carolina
* Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital
* Charleston (dance)
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* Charleston, South Australia
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* Charleston, Newfoundlan ...
,
Wilmington, and
Newport News, as well as to other ports on the East Coast as required. Since business was good, three more used ships were bought in 1897 and four in 1898.
In 1901 was a turning point for the shipping business As a result of the global economic crisis of 1901–1902, some of the ships had to be sold again. In 1902, William Burell left the company and sold his shares to the Cosulich brothers. The share capital was increased, 14 ships were taken over from the Cosulich shipping company and in 1903 the company was renamed ''Unione Austriaca di Navigazione già Austro-Americana e Fratelli Cosulich Società Anonima'' or the Austro-American line.
Unione Austriaca di Navigazione was founded in Trieste in 1903 by Fratelli Cosulich. The Cosulich family originated from the island of Lussino (today
Lošinj, Croatia) now operating as the Austro-American Line, ships of the company carried passengers from Trieste to
Messina
Messina (, also , ) is a harbour city and the capital of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of more than 219,000 inhabitants in ...
,
Naples,
Palermo
Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...
, and
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
.
Service to
South American ports and
New Orleans began in 1907 (though the New Orleans service was quickly discontinued).

In 1904 the company had 19 ships. In the same year, passengers were also transported for the first time, since many people emigrated to the United States at that time, and a profitable business area was therefore offered. Here you could also divert customers from the two North German competitors
Norddeutscher Lloyd and
Hamburg America Line.
With the entry into the passenger business, however, one also reacted to the agreement with the English
Cunard line
Cunard () is a British shipping and cruise line based at Carnival House at Southampton, England, operated by Carnival UK and owned by Carnival Corporation & plc. Since 2011, Cunard and its three ships have been registered in Hamilton, Berm ...
with the Hungarian government, which planned to take over the Hungarian emigrant traffic.
Cosulich made arrangements with the
Canadian Pacific Steamship Company for service from Trieste to
Canada which proved to be uneconomical and was canceled after six voyages. At the outbreak of
World War I, passenger services ceased.
After the
Armistice, Trieste came under the rule of Italy. Reorganized as an Italian company under the name Cosulich Societa Triestina di Navigazione, or Cosulich STN, the line, now sailing under the Cosulich Line name, resumed service from Mediterranean ports to New York and South America. In 1932, the Cosulich Line and fellow Italian passenger companies
Lloyd Sabaudo
The Lloyd Sabaudo was a Shipping transport line formed in Turin in 1906. It began passenger service in 1907, expanding to link Italy to ports in Asia as well as North and South America. In 1932 it merged with several other Italian shipping lines ...
and
Navigazione Generale Italiana were merged into the state-owned
Italia Flotte Riunite
Italian Line and from 1992 Italia Line, whose official name was Italia di Navigazione S.p.A., was a passenger shipping line that operated regular transatlantic services between Italy and the United States, and Italy and South America. During ...
( en, United Fleets Italy), or
ITALIA, though Cosulich was able to maintain its management from Trieste. When
ITALIA was liquidated in 1937, Cosulich was absorbed into the replacement Italia Societa Anonima di Navigazione, or
Italian Line.
The company exists today as the ''Fratelli Cosulich Group'', still a shipowner and based in Trieste.
See also
*
Lošinj
References
Citations
Bibliography
*
External links
Fratelli Cosulich GroupGG Archives
{{Authority control
Transport companies established in 1903
Defunct shipping companies
Companies of Austria-Hungary
Companies based in Trieste
Defunct transport companies of Italy
Transatlantic shipping companies
1903 establishments in Austria-Hungary
Transport companies disestablished in 1937
1937 disestablishments in Italy