Piazza del Plebiscito

Piazza del Plebiscito is one of the symbolic places of Naples. Located in the heart of the historic center, at the end of via Toledo, with its surface of over 25 thousand square meters it is the largest in the city and one of the largest in all of Italy. Bordered on the sides by the famous colonnade, it is laterally closed by the prefecture palace and by Salerno palace, the Royal palace and the church of San Francesco di Paola. Here is everything you need to know about Piazza del Plebiscito, how and what to visit, how to get there and its history.

How to get to Piazza del Plebiscito

Piazza del Plebiscito is located in the heart of the historic center of Naples, between the end of Via Toledo, between the main shopping streets of the Neapolitan capital, and after Piazza Trieste and Trento, and the Lungomare. Getting here is easy, but it is recommended to do it by public transport. In particular, you can take the underground line 1 and get off at the “Municipio” or “Toledo” stop and continue for a few meters on foot, or the Central Funicular which from Vomero reaches up to Piazzetta Augusteo. Alternatively, there are also the R2 bus lines from Piazza Garibaldi and 140 from Mergellina. It is also connected to the via Ferdinando Acton below via the Acton lift, which is free to use and whose management is entrusted to the Neapolitan Mobility Company (ANM). If you decide to travel by car, given the difficulties of finding parking, you can park the cars in one of the paid garages in the surrounding area, such as the Grangarage Napoli (via Santa Maria Cappella Vecchia 30 / m) and the Supergarage (via Shelley 11 ).

It is customary to divide Piazza del Plebiscito into two parts: the first at the foot of the basilica of San Francesco di Paola follows a semicircular shape, while the other, which borders on the end with the Royal Palace and is determined in the short sides by the curtains of the twin buildings has a more rectangular shape. In the centers of the two areas there are isolated two equestrian statues of Charles III of Bourbon (initiator of the Bourbon dynasty) and his son Ferdinand I, made by Canova and his pupil Antonio Calì. Famous is the game of crossing the square blindfolded or with your eyes closed in a straight line, starting from the door of the Royal Palace, which is located right in the center between the two equestrian statues, but practically nobody succeeds in the endeavor.

What to see and see in Piazza del Plebiscito

Basilica of San Francesco di Paola

It is a minor basilica in Naples, located at the end of piazza del Plebiscito. Considered among the most important examples of Italian neoclassical architecture, it was built in the nineteenth century by Ferdinando I delle Due Sicilie after the expulsion from the city of Gioacchino Murat. Its colonnade is inspired by that of San Pietro in Rome, while the shape recalls that of the Pantheon. Behind it rises the hill of Pizzofalcone, where according to tradition the first inhabited center of the ancient Partenope was born. You can visit the church for free every day from 07:30 to 12:00 and from 15:30 to 18:00 and on holidays from 08:30 to 12:30. For more information call 081.7645133.