Piazza del Plebiscito (Plebiscite Square), Naples (must see)

Plebiscite Square is the largest and most ceremonial public square in Naples, opening directly onto the waterfront at the edge of the historic centre. Its name refers to the plebiscite of 1860, when the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies voted to join the newly unified Kingdom of Italy—a political moment that marked the end of centuries of Bourbon rule. Long before that vote, however, the square functioned as a stage for royal power, military parades, and civic spectacle.

The square took its present form in the early 19th century under Joachim Murat, Napoleon’s brother-in-law and King of Naples, who envisioned a grand neoclassical space inspired by imperial ideals. Dominating its eastern side is the Royal Palace of Naples, begun in the early 1600s and long the residence of Spanish viceroys and later Bourbon kings.

After World War II, the square fell into neglect and was used as a large parking area until 1997, when it was restored ahead of the G7 summit held in Naples. This restoration returned the piazza to its original role as a monumental civic space.

Today, Plebiscite Square offers both scale and pause. It is one of the few places in Naples where the sky feels expansive, making it a popular meeting point and a natural threshold between the old city, the royal quarter, and the sea. Largely free of traffic, the square invites visitors to slow down, observe details, watch daily life unfold, or simply take in the symmetry and openness that set it apart from the surrounding streets.