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Piazza Dante in Naples
Piazza Dante is a large public square in Naples, Italy, named after the poet Dante Alighieri. The square is dominated by a 19th-century statue of the poet Dante, sculpted by Tito Angelini.
Overview
Originally, the square was called
Largo del Mercatello (Market Square). In 1765, it was rechristened
Foro Carolina, after the wife of the
King of Naples. At that time, the square was modified by architect
Luigi Vanvitelli. Modifications included the construction of an ornate semicircular arrangement of columns and statues that now look down on the square. They now mark the western side of a
boarding school named for Victor Emanuel II. Vanvitelli, with his changes, essentially converted what had been the rear of a large, pre-existing and ancient monastery into the front of the "new" structure. The western side of the square is flanked by
Via Toledo. At the southern side is the church of
San Michele Arcangelo. On Via Toledo, in the northern flank of the piazza is the church of Santa Maria di Caravaggio.
Coordinates: 40°50′56.46″N 14°15′0.26″E / 40.8490167°N 14.2500722°E / 40.8490167; 14.2500722
