After years of construction, disruption, and barriers, the area in front of the Maschio Angioino is finally preparing for a transformation. The City Council has approved the final redevelopment project for Via Vittorio Emanuele III, designed by world-renowned architects Álvaro Siza and Eduardo Souto de Moura, in collaboration with Studio DAZ. This strategic project marks the final step in the major redesign of Piazza Municipio, integrating mobility, accessibility, and historic enhancement in one of Naples' most iconic areas.
The project goes beyond repaving: it redesigns urban geometries, connects pedestrian walkways, integrates elevators and stairs to the subway and the Archaeological Park, and extends the visual axis of Via Medina to the gardens of the Royal Palace, near the Bronze Horses. This route, conceived as architectural and landscape continuity, for the first time combines historicity and functionality in a space previously stifled by construction work.
On the ground, basalt and lava stone interact with the rest of the square, leading visitors through redesigned flowerbeds, new accessible sidewalks, tactile maps for the visually impaired, ramps for the disabled, drinking fountains, and benches. An urban boulevard is born with over 1.700 square meters of greenery and the planting of 25 new trees. Oak Ilex, capable of shading the future face of the area.
The public transport shelter will be relocated, while access to the Torrino Aragonese—where the elevator connecting the street level to the Municipio station departs—will be enhanced and fully accessible. “We are finally giving this space back to Neapolitans and visitors after years of work – explains councilor Edoardo Cosenza –This project completes the transformation of the Municipio-Porto Station and creates an ongoing dialogue between history, mobility, and urban beauty."
Work will begin by the end of July and will last ten months. Both-way traffic will be guaranteed, ensuring that the square's rebirth doesn't paralyze the city. But for the first time in years, Naples is preparing to restore one of its iconic sites to the full livability and decorum it deserves.
Comments (1)
It's interesting to see how the Maschio Angioino area is changing, but I hope the work doesn't cause too much disruption. The redevelopment looks promising, but I wonder if the timeline will be met.