Description
Piazza del Plebiscito is the great square of Naples, at the end of Via Toledo, between the seafront and the historic center. At about 25,000 square meters it is one of the largest in the city and in Italy, which is why concerts and big events are held here.
Its design is that of a theater set. On one side the Basilica of San Francesco di Paola, with its semicircular colonnade, on the other the long facade of the Royal Palace. At the sides stand two twin palaces, today the Prefecture and Palazzo Salerno.
In front of the colonnade you see the two equestrian statues, of Charles of Bourbon and his son Ferdinand I, commissioned from Canova. In between lies a great empty space, perfect for concerts and celebrations.
The square was not born like this. It was the Largo di Palazzo, the open space in front of the viceroys' palace, and for centuries it was embellished with temporary decorations and displays: a three-arched fountain and even a colossal bust of Jupiter found at Cumae, the Giant of the Palace.
At the beginning of the nineteenth century Joachim Murat tore down the surrounding convents and tripled the space, from 9,000 to more than 23,000 square meters, for a Foro Gioacchino dedicated to the glories of the Napoleonids. He had the two twin palaces built, but did not live to finish the rest.
Back on the throne, the Bourbons changed the plans: in place of the monument to Murat, King Ferdinand wanted a church for Saint Francis of Paola, to whom he had made a vow in order to regain the crown.
The square was inaugurated in 1846. Its present name recalls the plebiscite of October 21, 1860, which brought the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies into the Kingdom of Italy.
From 1963 it was for thirty years a parking lot, with cars, buses and even a building site. In 1994, for the G7 summit, it was laid out with paving stones and closed to traffic. Since then it has been the stage for big events, from concerts to ceremonies.
From 1995 to 2009, at Christmastime, contemporary art installations by artists such as Mimmo Paladino, Richard Serra and Rebecca Horn were set up in the center of the square.
Its design is that of a theater set. On one side the Basilica of San Francesco di Paola, with its semicircular colonnade, on the other the long facade of the Royal Palace. At the sides stand two twin palaces, today the Prefecture and Palazzo Salerno.
In front of the colonnade you see the two equestrian statues, of Charles of Bourbon and his son Ferdinand I, commissioned from Canova. In between lies a great empty space, perfect for concerts and celebrations.
The square was not born like this. It was the Largo di Palazzo, the open space in front of the viceroys' palace, and for centuries it was embellished with temporary decorations and displays: a three-arched fountain and even a colossal bust of Jupiter found at Cumae, the Giant of the Palace.
At the beginning of the nineteenth century Joachim Murat tore down the surrounding convents and tripled the space, from 9,000 to more than 23,000 square meters, for a Foro Gioacchino dedicated to the glories of the Napoleonids. He had the two twin palaces built, but did not live to finish the rest.
Back on the throne, the Bourbons changed the plans: in place of the monument to Murat, King Ferdinand wanted a church for Saint Francis of Paola, to whom he had made a vow in order to regain the crown.
The square was inaugurated in 1846. Its present name recalls the plebiscite of October 21, 1860, which brought the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies into the Kingdom of Italy.
From 1963 it was for thirty years a parking lot, with cars, buses and even a building site. In 1994, for the G7 summit, it was laid out with paving stones and closed to traffic. Since then it has been the stage for big events, from concerts to ceremonies.
From 1995 to 2009, at Christmastime, contemporary art installations by artists such as Mimmo Paladino, Richard Serra and Rebecca Horn were set up in the center of the square.