Piazza del Plebiscito
Naples
The monumental heart of Naples, Piazza del Plebiscito opens its great semicircle between the Royal Palace and the Basilica of San Francesco di Paola. Vast and solemn, it is the city's living room: here Neapolitans stroll, meet up and celebrate. Follow the treasure map among columns and equestrian statues.
The history of Piazza del Plebiscito
The square was born in the first years of the 19th century. It was Joachim Murat, King of Naples in the Napoleonic period, who wanted the great open space and had the colonnaded semicircle designed. When the Bourbons returned, Ferdinand I completed the work by having the Basilica of San Francesco di Paola built as a votive offering for winning back the kingdom. Its present name recalls the plebiscite of 1860, in which the South voted for annexation to the Kingdom of Italy.
What to see
The curved side is dominated by the Basilica of San Francesco di Paola, inspired by the Pantheon in Rome, with its imposing dome and the semicircular colonnade embracing it. Opposite stretches the façade of the Royal Palace, with the statues of the kings of Naples. In the middle of the square stand the two equestrian statues of Charles III of Bourbon and Ferdinand I: the first is by Antonio Canova, the second was begun by Canova and completed by another sculptor.
Visiting Piazza del Plebiscito
The square is pedestrianised and easy to reach from the historic centre and the seafront. Paved with volcanic stone, it often hosts concerts and public events. From the steps of the basilica you get an overall view of the whole space, while the nearby Royal Palace and Teatro San Carlo complete one of the finest monumental areas in Italy.
