Piazza del Popolo, a long historical journey
From a regimented square, to a people’s marketplace
Located in the northern part of the city, between the populous neighbourhoods of Santa Lucia and Tremulini, Piazza del Popolo has a trapezoid-shaped plant. During the war, it was the square where fascist meetings took place. The area currently hosts the most important people’s market in the city every morning, during the Marian festivities in September, and musical concerts.
Fascist architecture
Designed according to the style of the regime, the square was originally conceived for large meetings between people following the canons of rationalist art where every building, street, and urban place had to demonstrate the political power under which the citizen lived. The “Casa del fascio”, headquarters of the party and a complex sports gyms at the time, is located in the southern area, today housing the headquarters of the Regional Administrative Court.
DID YOU KNOW THAT …?
Used in the past for gymnastic and skating competitions, the first city basketball match was played on site at the beginning of the 1930s.
Mussolini’s speech
In 1939, the square hosted one of Mussolini’s meetings during his visit to the city. Here, from a stone pulpit, he gave a speech to the population. Today, there are still concrete pillars that at the time supported the fascist flags, covered with white marble and decorated with reliefs and propaganda writings.
