Piazza del Plebiscito (o del Papa)

It is the oldest of the four main squares of Ancona. Built in the fifteenth century, of rectangular shape with different levels connected by ramps and stairways. On it they overlook some of the most important buildings (the Government Palace, with its tower, St. Dominic's Church and the statue of Pope Clement XII). Initially called New Square, Great Square and Napoleone Square (during the French conquest), the restoration of the Papal States took the name of St. Dominic's Square and, in 1870, the current one, in honor of the plebiscite. The monument par excellence is the statue of Blessing Clement XII, created in 1738 by sculptor Agostino Cornacchini. It was damaged during the Second World War and restored by Vittorio Morelli. There are two fountains: Fountain of Head off, that according to tradition, its bas-reliefs reminds the young martyrs who fought to restore Communal freedom, and Fountain Square (or Emicicla) of the nineteenth century, at the base of the staircase.