Piazza della Republica

This piazza, in the center of Florence, was built in the 1870's upon the site of an old market , when Florence was Italy's capital. The piazza is dominated by the huge neoclassical arch (a bit of an affront to Renaissance aficionados) and the square is lined with cafes where people meet to discuss the day's events. It is especially crowded at night, as Italians engage in their ritual paseggiata, a stroll by the fashionable Florentines who wish to see and be seen.