Square, Plaza sights in Naples
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Piazza del Gesù Nuovo
Flanked by the spiky Chiesa del Gesù Nuovo and the Basilica di Santa Chiara, this lively square is one of Naples' most beautiful. For hundreds of years it was the principal western entrance to the city. But it wasn't until two major modifications in the 16th century that the piazza took on its current proportions.
Firstly, Ferrante Sanseverino knocked down the houses that were blocking his beautiful 15th-century palazzo (later to become the Chiesa del Gesù Nuovo) and in one fell swoop cleared the square's northern flank. Some years later, Spanish viceroy Don Pedro de Toledo demolished the Angevin city gate and once again moved the city walls westwards.
At its centre soar…
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Piazza del Plebiscito
For old-fashioned Continental grandeur, it’s hard to beat Piazza del Plebiscito. Whichever way you look, the view is impressive. To the northwest, vine-covered slopes lead up to Castel Sant’Elmo and the Certosa di San Martino; to the east, the pink-hued Palazzo Reale shows off its oldest facade. And to the west stands Pietro Banchini’s neoclassical facsimile of Rome’s Pantheon, the colossal Chiesa di San Francesco di Paola. A later addition to the columned colonnade of Joachim Murat’s original 1809 piazza design, the church was commissioned by Ferdinand I in 1817 to celebrate the restoration of his kingdom after the Napoleonic interlude. Standing guard outside are…
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Piazza San Domenico Maggiore
For some unexplained reason, this airy square is a hit with dreadlocked Spaniards. Along with local students and foreign tourists, they flock here for a late-night beer, cigarette and chat.
Headed by the Chiesa di San Domenico Maggiore and flanked by imposing palazzi, the piazza was a series of humble kitchen gardens until the 15th century when the Aragonese decided to make San Domenico their royal church. In the 17th century, various aristocrats built their townhouses around the square. At its centre sits the very baroque Guglia di San Domenico. Decorated by Cosimo Fanzago and completed in 1737 by Domenico Antonio Vaccaro, it was a token of gratitude to San Domenico for …
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Piazza del Mercato
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.
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Piazza del Municipio
Dominated by the iconic Castel Nuovo, Piazza Municipio isn't looking its best at the moment as construction continues on the new metro system. At the head of the square stands the 19th-century Palazzo San Giacomo. Attached to it is the 16th-century Chiesa San Giacomo degli Spagnoli, burial place of 16th-century Spanish viceroy Don Pedro de Toledo and his wife Maria. On the northern flank stands the Teatro Mercadante, a local theatre heavyweight.
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Largo San Giovanni Maggiore
Dominating the western flank of this fetching little square is Giovanni da Nola's impressive 16th-century Palazzo Giusso, home to the Istituto Universitario Orientale. Facing this is the Chiesa San Giovanni Pappacoda, whose original 15th-century structure barely survived the attentions of an 18th-century makeover. Antonio Baboccio's Gothic portal remains, along with a bell tower constructed out of tufa, marble and piperno stone.
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Piazza Bellini
Just to the north of the western end of Via dei Tribunali, lively Piazza Bellini is a hotspot for the city's bohemians. Each night, its ivy-clad cafes and bars hum with jazz-loving writers, left-leaning students and a healthy dose of flirtatious glances. At its centre, 4th-century ruins of the Greek city walls add a classical touch.
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Piazza dei Martiri
If Chiaia is Naples’ drawing room, then Piazza dei Martiri is its showpiece chaise longue. Anyone worth their Gucci shades heads here for espresso at La Caffettiera and a fix of book browsing, flirtatious glances and (more) espresso at bookshop-cum-hang-out Feltrinelli.
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Piazza Trieste e Trento
Cocktail-sipping poseurs and packs of flirting teens make this an essential city pitstop. Grab a lemon granita from the hole-in-the-wall acquaiolo (drink stall) and take in the famous locals, which include the Palazzo Reale, Teatro San Carlo and legendary Caffè Gambrinus.
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Piazza Dante
On hot summer evenings, Piazza Dante turns into a communal living room, packed with entire families who stroll, eat, smoke, play cards, chase balloons, whinge about the in-laws or simply sit and stare.
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