Piazza della Repubblica, Rome

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The Piazza della Repubblica formerly called Piazza dell'Esedra is far from being one of the most beautiful squares in Rome. The traffic is intense because it receives cars from several major roads and the busses joining their terminus at the Termini Station.
Its decor is inconsistent since half of it surrounding the entrance to the Via Nazionale consists of monumental buildings with porches built by Gaetano Koch in 1890 in Neo-Classical, while opposite are the Baths of Diocletian in bare bricks. The entrance, the old caldarium of the Terms, to the Santa Maria degli Angeli church built inside the Terms is not especially nice! The contrast is striking between the two halves of the Piazza.
The center of the square is the fountain of the Naiads by Mario Rutelli inaugurated in 1901 after a stir within the conservative society of Rome. "L 'Osservatore Romano, "the Vatican newspaper, found the statues sensual, immoral and indecent. The city put a fence around the monument in order to hide the view but this prompted many young people to come and see the Naiads through the gaps between the planks. Finally the Roman population knocked down the fence!

At night the Piazza della Repubblica looks better under the floods of lights.

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Piazza della Repubblica was built in the large exedra of the baths of Diocletian which gives the shape of the square.
The two palaces with porticos around the square were buit by Gaetano Koch between 1887 and 1898 in Neo-Classic style. In the centre of the square there is the Fontana delle Naidi.
There you can also see the basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri.

As my hotel was near the railway station I started my Rome tour from here and first site is this
Piazza della Repubblica builds in semicircle shape. You might remember seeing this place in some of old Fellini's movies.

The fountain with the four bronze statues of the Najadi by Mario Rutelli stands in the centre of the square, on one side there's the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli and Diocletian's Baths, and on the other there are buildings of various architectural styles. Called Piazza della Repubblica after WW2, it still officially bears the name that refers to the central exedra of the Baths as well as being known as Piazza Esedra. The square is a meeting point for official demonstrations and for receiving visiting delegations from abroad.

This square was part of the great redevelopment undertaken when Rome became capital of unified Italy. In the middle of it stands the Naiadi Fountain, whose four naked nymphs caused something of a scandal when they were unveiled in 1901.

Piazza Esedra (o della Repubblica) - Al centro di questa ampia piazza è situata la fontana delle Naiadi. Da qui lo sguardo può spaziare fino all'Altare della patria, in piazza Venezia.

Esedra or Repubblica square, in the center of this square there is the Naiadi fountain. From here your sight can loose till Altare della Patria in piazza Venezia

Though this is certainly considered a lesser square, Repubblica remains close to my heart. This is my very first "site" in Rome 25 years ago. Beautiful setting for the fountains especially at night. The basilica is very lovely and often has an interesting art exhibit.

This is a beautiful but very traffic busy piazza!

Its worth visiting the Santa Maria Degli Angeli church, also some of the National Museum is here too.

If you are travelling with kids on the opposite side of the piazza to the church is a huge Warner Brother cinema!

The Piazza della Republica is formerly known as Piazza dell'Esedra. In the middle of the square is a beautiful fountain called Fontana delle Naiada designed by Mario Rutelli. It features a central bronze figure of Glaucus wresteling with a fish, and is surrounded by four waternymphs.

Another of the many beautiful squares of Rome. Called also Piazza Esedra, because that was the old name, from the exedra of the thermae of Diocletian.
In the middle of the square the fountain of Naiads by Rutelli.
The church of S.ta Maria degli Angeli is on the north side made from a building of the Roman thermae.