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Piazza del Plebiscito

Squares & fountains ·Naples
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#52Things to do in NaplesMost reviewed in NaplesTravelers' Choice 2026
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About

Piazza del Plebiscito is a large public square in central Naples, near the Gulf of Naples, between the Royal Palace and the Basilica of San Francesco di Paola.

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Piazza del Plebiscito — Panoramic view across the piazza toward the basilica and surrounding buildings Wolfgang Pehlemann · CC BY-SA 3.0 de · edited
Piazza del Plebiscito — Panoramic view across the piazza toward the basilica and surrounding buildingsPiazza del Plebiscito — Open cobbled square with the basilica and visitorsPiazza del Plebiscito — Visitors crossing the piazza beneath dramatic cloudsPiazza del Plebiscito — Broad view across the piazza toward the basilicaPiazza del Plebiscito — Historic view of the basilica and fountain across the squarePiazza del Plebiscito — Aerial view of the piazza and surrounding city blocksPiazza del Plebiscito — Crowd gathered in the piazza for a public ceremonyPiazza del Plebiscito — Black and white view of the piazza with a passerbyPiazza del Plebiscito — Children playing football on the piazza's stone pavingPiazza del Plebiscito — Stone guardhouse beside the piazza, with the basilica beyondPiazza del Plebiscito — Art installation on the paving in front of the royal palace

Why go

  • The 25,000-square-metre public square between the waterfront and Via Toledo.
  • The neoclassical basilica inspired by Rome’s Pantheon.
  • Equestrian monuments to Carlo di Borbone and his son Ferdinand I.
  • Occasional open-air concerts and major public events.

Don't miss

  • Equestrian statue of Charles VII of Naples (Carlo di Borbone)Antonio Canova sculpted the statue.In front of the Basilica of San Francesco di Paola.
  • Equestrian statue of Ferdinand IAntonio Canova made the horse, and Antonio Calì made the king’s figure.In front of the Basilica of San Francesco di Paola.

Photo spots

  • Palazzo Salerno and the Prefecture PalaceUse the palaces bordering the square as architectural subjects.Along the square
  • Semicircular colonnadeFrame the curve of the colonnade from the open square.Around the Basilica of San Francesco di Paola

Interesting facts3

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  1. For centuries, festivities here used theatrical machinery designed by architects including Ferdinando Sanfelice and Francesco Maresca.

    Piazza del Plebiscito - Wikipedia

  2. Murat planned the square and its buildings as a tribute to Napoleon.

    Piazza del Plebiscito - Wikipedia

  3. Artists who exhibited works in the square include Mimmo Paladino, Richard Serra, Rebecca Horn and Luciano Fabro.

    Piazza del Plebiscito - Wikipedia

Shorts

History

During the Napoleonic redesign, religious buildings were demolished and replaced by state palaces. After Napoleon was sent to St Helena, the Bourbons returned and Ferdinand I continued construction.

  1. 1543Around 1543, a forecourt formed beside a viceregal palace commissioned by Pedro Álvarez de Toledo.
  2. 17th centuryDomenico Fontana built the new Royal Palace as the square was regularised. Pietro Bernini and Michelangelo Naccherino designed a three-arch fountain for its seaward side.
  3. 18th centuryArchitects working for the Royal Palace began major changes to the square in the mid-18th century.
  4. 1809–1815Leopoldo Laperuta and Antonio De Simone directed Murat’s Foro Gioacchino project. It raised two matching palaces, but only the central building’s foundations were finished.
  5. 1817After French occupation, Ferdinand I replaced Murat’s planned central building with a church dedicated to Francis of Paola, who had stayed at a monastery on the site in the 15th century.
Show all
  1. 1846The square opened as Piazza Ferdinandea, also called Piazza di San Francesco di Paola.
  2. 1885Federico Travaglini’s fountain was installed for the opening of the Serino aqueduct.
  3. 1910s; 1985The original fountain was dismantled and stored in municipal depots. A copy installed in 1985 was later removed.

How to get there

  • TrainMetro: Municipio.
  • TrainMetro: Chiaia.
  • Cable carFunicolare Centrale.

On the same route

  • Piazza del Plebiscito approachFollow Via Toledo to Piazza Trieste e Trento, then continue to Piazza del Plebiscito.

Sources: Piazza del Plebiscito - Wikipedia · Piazza del Plebiscito - Wikipedia · Piazza del Plebiscito - Wikipedia · Piazza del Plebiscito - Wikipedia · checked 6 Oct 2026

Where
Piazza Del Plebiscito, Naples

Plan from here: A day out →

Questions and answers

Is Piazza del Plebiscito pedestrianised?

Yes. It served as a public car park from 1963 until its restoration and full pedestrianisation for the G7 summit in 1994.

Why is it called Piazza del Plebiscito?

Its name recalls the plebiscite of 21 October 1860, which brought Naples into the unified Kingdom of Italy under the House of Savoy.

Why did Ferdinand I commission the basilica at Piazza del Plebiscito?

It was a votive offering after the French occupation.

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