Piazza del Plebiscito

Piazza del Plebiscito is one of Naples' principal civic spaces, framed by the Royal Palace and the colonnade of San Francesco di Paola. Its name commemorates the 1860 plebiscite that joined Naples to the unified Italian state.

Why it matters

The square reflects Naples' political transformation from viceregal capital to kingdom and then to part of unified Italy. Its architecture records successive projects: a Napoleonic forum, a royal forum under the restored Bourbon dynasty, and the church and colonnade that define its western side.

What to notice

The curved colonnade and domed rotunda of San Francesco di Paola echo the classical forms of the Pantheon. Equestrian statues of Charles III and Ferdinand I stand within the square. Canova made the statue of Charles III and the horse for the monument to Ferdinand I; Antonio Calì completed the latter with the figure of the king. The eastern side is occupied by the long facade of the Palazzo Reale. Palazzo della Prefettura and Palazzo Salerno close the shorter sides. Palazzo Salerno dates to the eighteenth century, while Palazzo della Prefettura was designed by Leopoldo Laperuta in 1815.

The paving consists of volcanic stone blocks, or basoli, laid for the 1994 G7 summit. Together, the palaces, church and colonnades form an expansive architectural ensemble.

Context and history

The space began as Largo di Palazzo beside the viceregal residence. Under Joachim Murat, king from 1808 to 1815, the suppression of monasteries cleared the ground for a planned Foro Gioacchino, centred on an equestrian monument to Napoleon. The semicircular project was begun before the Napoleonic era ended.

After the Bourbon restoration, Ferdinand I redirected the project toward a royal forum and church dedicated to Saint Francis of Paola. Construction began in 1816 under architect Pietro Bianchi; the church was inaugurated in 1836. Following the plebiscite of 1860, the square took its present name. It served as a parade ground and public space, was converted into a parking area in 1963, and was repaved and restored for the 1994 summit.