Italian Piazzas - some of the most beautiful squares in Italy

Italy is the country of  thousand bell towers and many squares - the piazza. The Piazza is a meeting point for people; they have represented places of socialization and protest throughout history. But what are the most beautiful squares in Italy? There are so many stunning piazzas!  Let's take a short trip and take a wander across those beautiful piazzas.

For example, Piazza San Pietro, Città del Vaticano, Rome. It is certainly the most famous square in the world. It is the center of Christianity, the place where thousands of pilgrims come to pray and listen to the words of the pope. Made by Bernini with an oval shape, it is characterized by a colonnade that almost seems to want to wrap and embrace those who admire St. Peter's Basilica.

Piazza Bra in Verona is a real city lounge. In the evening, many choose it for an aperitif or to eat in one of the nearby restaurants. The square also contains the famous Arena di Verona, an ancient Roman amphitheater that is the most stunning location for the annual Opera Program; which season has just started again.

Piazza San Carlo in Turin represents the living room of the city. Recently transformed into a pedestrian zone; it has seen the resurgence of places where you can drink the famous “bicerin” which is a freshly made hot espresso coffee with homemade chocolate and milk cream. These are the ingredients that make up the Turin "bicerin" (glass) which has long been a real institution in the Piedmontese capital. Try the real "bicerin" at  the Caffè San Carlo with a view over the Piazza or  at the Caffè Confetteria Al Bicerin. This historic café, opened in 1793, was Cavour's favorite who used to sip the typical Turin drink at his tables. In the center of Piazza San Carlo, a monument to Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia.

Piazza del Popolo was the gateway to the city from the Via Flaminia for Rome. Elliptical in shape, it has an obelisk in the center, a meeting point for the young people of the city. Three streets start from here: Via di Ripetta leading to the Pantheon and the Mausoleum of Augustus, Via del Corso which reaches Piazza Venezia, and Via del Babuino which reaches Piazza di Spagna. The name in modern Italian literally means "People's Square", but historically it derives from the poplars after which the church of Santa Maria del Popolo, in the northeast corner of the piazza, takes its name. The cafes around the Piazza, such as the Rosati or the Canova are legendary for the famous clientele. 

The most important square in Siena - Piazza del Campo is characterized by an original shell shape, which makes it unique in the world. Theater of the famous Palio, the square hosts some of the main buildings of the city, from the splendid Palazzo Comunale to the Torre del Mangia, from the Fonte Gaia to the Loggia della Mercanzia, to some marvelous historic buildings. Piazza del Campo in Siena, famous throughout the world for its architectural beauty and its particular 'clamshell' shape, lies in the junction point of the three hills on which the city stands and it is where the Palio di Siena takes place twice a year. There are many cafes around the Piazza del Campo, to take this fabulous view in, whether the Caffè Nannini or at the Gran Caffè Siena. 

With its peculiar semi-elliptical shape, the Piazza del Duomo embraces its marvelous Cathedral, built where a Christian basilica once stood and before that the Temple of Athena. In addition to the Cathedral, the square hosts some magnificent historic buildings: the seventeenth-century Palazzo Senatorio, the Palazzo Beneventano del Bosco and the Palazzo Vescovile. Why not take a pause at the Gran Caffè del Duomo and indulge in their famous Sicilian Cassata.