What to see in Piazza Garibaldi

Piazza Garibaldi: A Historic and Bustling Square in Napoli

As one of the busiest and most significant squares in Naples, Piazza Garibaldi is also one of the largest in Europe. It came into existence after the unification of Italy when the new Napoli Centrale station (the seventh busiest in Italy for passenger traffic) was built along the current Corso Garibaldi in 1866. Initially, it was called Piazza della Stazione or della Ferrovia until Giuseppe Saredo, then Regio Commissario, decided to dedicate it to Italian unity in 1891, naming it Piazza dell'Unità Italiana. In 1904, the statue of Giuseppe Garibaldi, created by Cesare Zocchi to celebrate one of the primary contributors to the unification of Italy, was installed in the center of the square (now on the left side after its expansion).

The square's current appearance dates back to the early 1960s when the old station was demolished and rebuilt in a more remote position, and the square was enlarged. The subway station of Napoli Piazza Garibaldi, which has been operational since 1925, was also rebuilt underground, and it was completed only in 1960. Today, the square hosts stations for Line 1, Line 2, and the Circumvesuviana.

In 2004, the square underwent significant renovations thanks to a project by Dominique Perrault, carried out in parallel with the station's restoration. The works began in 2006 and streamlined the chaotic traffic by creating a wide central longitudinal road. On the north side, an extensive urban forest was created, complete with an amphitheater, retail units, and a play area. On the south side, a walkway with an adjacent shopping gallery covered by a semi-permeable metal mesh canopy was built.