Gezicht op Piazza di Spagna te Napels c. 1700 - 1710

This is an anonymous rendering of the Piazza di Spagna in Naples, Italy. In the absence of a known artist, we turn to the scene itself to ask what historical or cultural forces may have shaped it. The Piazza di Spagna was named for the Spanish Embassy to the Vatican which was located there. As such, it was a crossroads of cultural and political exchange in Naples. The figures walking the piazza were likely a mix of locals and travelers. Consider their varied stories, their gender, race, and class, as they all came together in this space. This seemingly simple depiction of a public square becomes a window into the complex social fabric of 18th-century Naples. How do we see our own public squares and gathering places? How are they shaped by the stories of the people who move through them? The work reminds us that places are not just physical spaces, but also stages where personal and collective histories intersect.