Useful information

Metro: Dante. The nearest bus stop is Dante-Port’Alba (139, 168, 178, 182, 184, 201, 301, 460, 584, 604, C63, N3, N8).

History and description

The Piazza San Domenico Maggiore is located near the east side of the city wall of Naples. It was constructed during the time when the House of Aragon held power in the city.

The commissioner for its construction was Alphons I of Aragon, who also had the great staircase next to the apse of the church constructed.

What to see

San Domenico Maggiore Church

The most notable tourist attraction in the square is the San Domenico Maggiore Church. Although there is an entrance at the square itself, it is not its actual façade that one sees from the piazza.

Obelisk

The so-called San Domenico Obelisk in the middle of the piazza is one of three “plague columns” built in Naples after the 1656 epidemic. The statue on top represents San Domenico, the founder of the Domenican Monastic Order. The construction of the column took quite a long time and was not completed until 1737. The monument is decorated with marble, medallions and reliefs.

Palazzo Petrucci

The Palazzo Petrucci stands on the west side of the square and houses the Michelin starred restaurant Ristorante Palazzo Petrucci.

Delicacies

The most famous café in the square is the Pasticceria Scaturchio, which has been supplying Naples’ gourmands with sweets (sfogliarelle, arancino, babà, zeppole San Giuseppe, etc.) since 1905. The building housing it is the Palazzo di Sangro di Casacalenda.

Attractions near Piazza San Domenico Maggiore

Sansevero Chapel

Walking down the Vicolo San Domenico Maggiore one comes to the Sansevero Chapel, one of the Top 10 Sights in Naples. The chapel used to be connected to the Palazzo di Sangro di Sansevero, where the founder of the chapel resided.

Palazzo Corigliano

This street also houses the Palazzo Corigliano, which today houses a faculty of the Oriental University of Naples.

Piazza San Domenico Maggiore, Naples

Spaccanapoli and surroundings