Piazza della Repubblica

The vast square is the result of the nineteenth-century demolition of the ancient city centre, at the time of Florence as the capital of Italy (1865-1871). This was one of the most characteristic areas and over the centuries it had kept the medieval building fabric almost intact, with narrow streets and buildings leaning against each other. Here, together with medieval towers, artisan workshops, houses, there were also the Jewish ghetto and Vasari's Loggia del Pesce (the "Fish Loggia", later rebuilt in Piazza de' Ciompi); in the center was the Piazza del Mercato Vecchio (the "Old Market") built on the site of the Forum of the Roman city (the Column of Abundance marks the meeting point between the Cardo and the Decumanus, the two main Roman streets). The operation was presented as necessary to restore the hygienic and sanitary conditions of the area.

The background of the square is dominated by the monumental portico, the "Gallery" created by Vincenzo Micheli in 1895 - passing under the large central arch you can easily reach Palazzo Strozzi and via Tornabuoni - while on the sides the square is animated by numerous venues, including a series of important historical cafés once a meeting place for artists and writers.