PIAZZA DEL PLEBISCITO

It is the most monumental square in Naples, probably the first place that tourists go to see during their Neapolitan stay. It was named after the plebiscite of 21 October 1860, which took place in the context of Italian unification. It is bordered by majestic buildings. On the eastern side, the Royal Palace, built at the will of the viceroy of Naples from 1600. In 1888, inside the niches decorating the façade, statues of eight sovereigns who have marked the history of Naples were installed. From left to right: the Norman king Roger II of Hauteville, Emperor Frederick II, Charles I of Anjou, Alfonso I of Aragon, Charles V, Charles of Bourbon, Joachim Murat and King Victor Emmanuel II. Opposite, the hemicycle-shaped portico commissioned by Joachim Murat in 1809 and interrupted in the centre by the Basilica of San Francesco di Paola (Saint Francis of Paola). It was built by order of Ferdinand I of Bourbon by the architect Pietro Bianchi, who was inspired by the Pantheon in Rome. The short sides of the square are enclosed by two palaces with neoclassical facades that give the whole a harmonious symmetry. In the centre are equestrian statues of Charles of Bourbon and Ferdinand I, by the sculptor Antonio Canova. The square is pedestrian and hosts demonstrations, concerts and political events (electoral speeches, etc.) all year round. On New Year's Eve, many Neapolitans gather here and celebrate the New Year with a large number of firecrackers.