Piazza della Repubblica

Piazza della Repubblica in Livorno is built above a long vaulted passage of the Fosso Reale. Known locally as the Voltone, the square links the historic centre with districts that grew beyond the old city walls.

Why it matters

In the nineteenth century, Livorno expanded beyond the pentagonal perimeter designed by Bernardo Buontalenti. The city covered part of the Fosso Reale with a vault and created a broad public square above it, turning a canal crossing into a major civic space.

What to notice

The square is a slightly irregular trapezoid and slopes along its length. At its centre stand bronze statues of the Lorraine grand dukes: Ferdinando III by Francesco Pozzi and Leopoldo II by Emilio Santarelli. Beneath the pavement, old shop arcades and storerooms remain buried. The covered canal continues below the square.

Context and history

Luigi Bettarini's design was chosen over a proposal by Mario Chieti. The canal was diverted into a gallery beneath the new square, which opened a route between the old port and newer districts. It was first named Piazza dei Granduchi, then Piazza Carlo Alberto under the Savoys, and became Piazza della Repubblica after the 1946 referendum. Public gatherings, including a 1975 meeting featuring Enrico Berlinguer and Santiago Carrillo, have marked its later history.