Piazza Dante
Square in Naples
On warm summer evenings, Piazza Dante becomes a vibrant hub of community activity, bustling with families who gather to stroll, dine, smoke, play cards, chase balloons, and share stories about their relatives.
The square is dramatically framed on the eastern side by the vast façade of the Convitto Nazionale, the crowning glory of Luigi Vanvitelli’s magnificent 18th-century creation. Originally dedicated to Bourbon king Charles VII, it now features a prominently displayed, sand-blasted marble statue of Dante overlooking Via Toledo.
Beneath this historic site, the Dante metro station serves a dual purpose as a venue for contemporary art, showcasing installations by notable figures in the art world. As you descend on the escalator, don’t miss Joseph Kosuth’s Queste cose visibili (These Visible Things), a strikingly large neon piece quoting Dante’s Il convivio overhead. At the escalator’s base, Jannis Kounellis’ artwork features renegade train tracks crossing over discarded shoes. Just behind you, above the second escalator, Michelangelo Pistoletto’s Intermediterraneo, a large mirror installation reflecting the map of the Mediterranean, completes this unique cultural experience.
The Piazza Dante appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Naples!
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Visiting Piazza Dante
24 Hours
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