Piazza della Repubblica

Piazza della Repubblica lies on the site of the Roman Forum. The remains of the ancient Campidoglio are buried beneath the Teatro Gamberinus, in the northwest corner of the piazza, and the column in the center of the piazza is Roman in origin. The statue at its top may represent the goddess Flora, for whom the city (then called Florentia) was named.

Other than the column, however, almost no trace of the ancient city remains. The piazza as you see it now was constructed in the late nineteenth century. Built with the intention of giving the city a modern piazza similar to those in other European cities, the medieval buildings that had once formed the Jewish ghetto were demolished to create one of the largest piazzas in the city.

The Piazza della Repubblica has several features worthy of interest. The first is a lovely merry-go-round that is a godsend to parents dragging monument-weary children around the city. Nearby, a small three-dimensional map of the city cast in bronze provides a nice orientation to the city. Of the cafés lining the piazza, the most notable is Gilli. Founded in 1733, it is one of the oldest coffee bars in the city. Finally, the arcade on the western boundary of the piazza, underneath what is now the Pensione Pendini, houses a flower market on Thursday mornings.