The well-known legend of Piazza del Plebiscito

Piazza del Plebiscito is not only the most important square in Naples, but also one of the largest in Italy, with an area of about 25,000 square metres. It is overlooked by some of the city’s most significant monuments, such as the Royal Palace and the Church of San Francesco di Paola. However, what makes the square truly iconic are the two equestrian statues, arranged in parallel. Around these statues hovers a legend, or rather, a curse that seems to involve both the statues and the visitors. Let us discover together the Legend of Piazza del Plebiscito and its mysterious statues.

The legend

Piazza del Plebiscito is considered the ‘drawing room’ of Naples, a place that is always crowded and where it is not uncommon to find tourists attempting a curious experiment: crossing the square… blindfolded! This is not a modern challenge launched on social media, but a tradition linked to an ancient legend, dating back as far as Queen Margherita.

The challenge is to walk 170 metres from the Royal Palace to the equestrian statues, trying to pass exactly between the two. Apparently simple, this task turns out to be almost impossible: visitors, convinced they have reached their destination, always end up in a completely different spot. This ‘failure’ is attributed to the curse that Queen Margaret placed on the prisoners of the Kingdom of Naples. According to legend, the queen granted monthly pardons to certain prisoners, but only if they managed to pass a test: crossing the square blindfolded and passing between the two statues. It is said that no one ever managed to complete the feat, making the pardon unattainable and the test a kind of cruel mockery.

The Scientific Explanation of the Legend

But what is the real reason why it is impossible to pass between the two equestrian statues in Piazza del Plebiscito with one’s eyes closed? Many attribute the failure to the queen’s curse, but there is a more rational explanation. Piazza del Plebiscito is so vast that it offers no clear landmarks to blindfolded tourists, and its pavement is uneven in several places. The absence of fixed points, combined with the size of the square and the uneven surfaces, easily leads to a loss of orientation. Moreover, the human body has a natural inclination to deviate in one direction, either to the right or to the left. This combination of factors makes it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to maintain a straight trajectory. Even if the scientific explanation is convincing, the legend of Queen Margaret and her curse remain fascinating, weaving history, culture and Neapolitan folklore into a tale shrouded in mystery.

After all, whether one believes it or not is a personal choice, but the allure of this legend undoubtedly adds a touch of magic to one of Naples’ most iconic sites.