Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi
Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi is a public square in the Province of Como, Lombardy, named in honour of the national hero of Italian unification. Squares bearing Garibaldi’s name were established across unified Italy in the decades following the Risorgimento, and this example — set in a town of the pre-Alpine Brianza foothills north of Milan — reflects the civic pride and urban redesign that accompanied Italy’s nation-building process in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
At a glance
- Type
- Historic public square (piazza)
- Period
- Named following Italian unification (post-1860); current form 19th–20th century
- Style
- Lombard civic urban design
- Location
- Province of Como, Lombardy, Italy
- Coordinates
- 45.8531° N, 9.3897° E
Overview
The square lies in the Brianza district of Lombardy, a sub-Alpine territory between the lakes of Como, Lecco, and the Po plain, known for its silk-weaving tradition and elegant villa culture. This part of Lombardy experienced rapid urbanisation in the nineteenth century as rail connections to Milan spurred economic growth and civic improvement. Piazze named for Garibaldi served as focal points for community life, hosting markets, civic ceremonies, and public gatherings that reinforced the identity of the newly unified Italian state.
History
Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807–1882) was the military commander whose campaigns — above all the Expedition of the Thousand in 1860 — decisively shaped the unification of Italy. Following his death in 1882, municipalities across the kingdom renamed or newly dedicated central squares, streets, and public buildings in his memory, a wave of civic commemoration that continued into the early twentieth century. The Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi in the Como province reflects this national pattern while expressing the local Lombard tradition of the arcaded or open market square as the heart of community life.
What you see
The square presents the characteristic features of a Lombard civic space: a defined perimeter of late-nineteenth or early-twentieth century buildings, often with ground-floor arcades or commercial premises, enclosing an open central area suitable for markets and gatherings. A monument or bust of Garibaldi is a common feature of such dedications across northern Italy, providing a focal point for the square’s commemorative identity. The surrounding streetscape reflects the incremental development of a prosperous Brianza town across several architectural generations.
Cultural significance
Piazze named for Garibaldi form one of the most widespread commemorative urban networks in Italy, encoding the civic memory of the Risorgimento in the everyday geography of Italian towns and cities. They represent the democratic and patriotic ideals that animated the unification movement, and continue to serve as gathering places for community events, markets, and local celebrations. In the Brianza context, such squares also reflect the prosperity generated by the region’s industrial and artisan heritage, which funded the civic improvements of the liberal era.
Practical information
- Location
- Province of Como, Lombardy, Italy
- Access
- Public square, freely accessible at all times
- Nearby
- Lake Como (approximately 10–20 km); historic villa gardens of the Brianza
Getting there
The Province of Como is well connected by rail from Milan (Cadorna and Centrale stations) via the Como–Milan line and the Lecco line. By car, exit the A9 motorway (Milan–Como) at Como Centro or use the SS36 Lecco road for the eastern Brianza towns. Regional bus services (ASF Autolinee) connect villages across the province. The area is also accessible by ferry services on Lake Como for lakeside towns.