Piazza della Repubblica is one of the main squares in Florence, located in the historic center of the city, within the UNESCO-listed area. The rectangular square measures about 75 meters by 100 meters, covers roughly 7,500 square meters, and stands around 250 meters from the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. The square is one of the clearest examples of how Florence changed between ancient times, the Middle Ages, and the late 19th century. Its modern appearance belongs mainly to the Risanamento, the large urban redevelopment that transformed the old central market area after Florence became capital of the Kingdom of Italy. Today, Piazza della Repubblica is a pedestrian and commercial space, bordered by historic cafés, hotels, shops, porticoes, and 19th-century buildings. It is crossed by central streets such as Via Roma, Via degli Speziali, Via degli Strozzi, Via dei Brunelleschi, Via Pellicceria, and Calimala. Short History of Piazza della Repubblica The Roman Forum of Florentia Piazza della Repubblica has been connected with the center of Florence since Roman times. In ancient Florentia, this area corresponded to the Roman forum, the main public space where the city’s most important civic, commercial, and religious functions were concentrated. The Roman layout Read more [...]