Piazza della Repubblica is an important square in Milan, located north of the historic center, along the ring road of the Spanish walls.
The square, with its 73,500 m² is among the largest in the city and in Italy by area [1]. Rich in green spaces, there are tall buildings (including the “Torre Breda”), the monument dedicated to Giuseppe Mazzini and prestigious hotels.
The square was opened around 1865 to serve the then new Central Station (the railway line ran on today’s Tunisia avenues, Ferdinand of Savoy and Liberation).
The construction of the station necessitated the opening of a new radial road (the current via Turati) for the connection with the city center; the new road crossed the bastion then existing through an underpass, called Barriera Principe Umberto.
The new square enclosed a large central garden, around which ran the traffic and tramway direct to the station.
In the twenties of the twentieth century the square, until then known as Piazzale Stazione Centrale, took the name of Piazzale Fiume in honor of the city of Carnaro.
In 1927 the Principe di Savoia Hotel was built.
In 1931 the Central Station was closed and replaced by the current one, located about 1 km further north; the square was therefore enlarged, both towards the north (over the area already railway), and towards the south (over the area of the demolished bastion), assuming its present appearance. In the same thirties the imposing residential buildings that still characterize the square were built.
After June 2, 1946, the square was changed to the current name to celebrate the proclamation of the Republic.