Named after the
plebiscite taken on October 21, 1860, that brought Naples into the unified
Kingdom of Italy under the
House of Savoy, the piazza is very close to the
gulf of Naples and bounded by the
Royal Palace (east) and the
church of San Francesco di Paola (west) with its hallmark twin colonnades extending to each side. Other noted adjacent buildings include the Palazzo Salerno and, its mirror, the
Prefecture Palace (on the left arm of the church). In the first years of the 19th century, the King of Naples,
Murat (
Napoleon's brother-in-law), planned the square and building as a tribute to the emperor. Soon after Napoleon was finally dispatched to St Helena, the Bourbons were restored to the throne, and
Ferdinand I continued the construction but converted the finished product into the church one sees today. He dedicated it to
Saint Francis of Paola, who had stayed in a monastery on this site in the 15th century. The church is reminiscent of the
Pantheon in
Rome. The
façade is fronted by a portico resting on six columns and two
Ionic pillars. Inside, the church is circular with two side chapels. The
dome is 53 metres high. In 1963, a municipal ordinance transformed the square into a public parking lot to cope with the uncontrolled increase of cars in the city. The square was thus disfigured (among other things, in addition to the car park there was also an extensive parking area for public transport buses close to the roadway, and even welcomed a large yard for the construction of the Rapid Tramway towards the end of the eighties) until in 1994, on the occasion of the
G7 summit, the square was renovated, first replacing the asphalt of the roadway behind the Royal Palace with the more traditional paving stones, and then pedestrianizing it in its entirety. Occasionally, the square is used for open-air concerts. Artists who have performed here include popular Italian and Neapolitan artists, such as
Franco Battiato and
Pino Daniele, as well as international stars including
Elton John,
Maroon 5 and
Muse. In May 2013,
Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band gave a concert at the venue. ==Gallery==