Piazza Dante is one of the most important squares in Naples, located in the historic center, and is characterized by the eponymous statue of the poet built in 1871. On one side stands the National Boarding School with 26 statues representing the virtues of Carlo di Borbone on top, and adjacent to it is Port’Alba, one of the ancient entrances to the city. Piazza Dante is at the beginning of Via Toledo, one of the completely pedestrian shopping streets. On this street, there are stores of major chains as well as local artisans, and it’s worth stopping to visit the Toledo Art Station, considered one of the most beautiful in the world. Reaching the other end, after a mandatory stop at Esterina Sorbillo for fried pizza, you arrive at Piazza Trieste e Trento with the famous Caffè Gambrinus and, a short distance away, the San Carlo Theater. Immediately after is the enormous Piazza del Plebiscito, overlooking the Royal Palace and the Basilica of San Francesco di Paola.
