Piazza del Mercato

Lonely Planet review

Where cars now park, heads once rolled. For centuries, this scruffy square was the site of gruesome public executions, including that of Conrad of Swabia and those of over 200 ill-fated supporters of the 1799 Parthenopean Republic. Equally grim is its honour as the starting spot for the devastating plague of 1656. The square sits at the easternmost point of the city's old medieval wall.

To the north shines the green- and yellow-tiled dome of the boarded-up Chiesa di Santa Croce al Mercato, while in the southwest corner you'll find a bizarre pyramid supported by four curious creatures. Only one remains intact - with the head of puffy-cheeked girl and the body of a lion.