The square was named after the plebiscite on October 21, 1860 that brought Naples into the United Kingdom of Italy "Risorgimento" under the House of Savoy. The course is located near the Gulf of Naples and is bordered by the Palazzo Reale and the church of San Francesco di Paola.
In the first years of the 19th century, Joachim Murat, King of Naples and Napoleon's brother-in-law, planned to pay homage to the emperor by designing the square and the building that bordered it to the west. Ferdinand I later continued construction, but had the finished building converted into the church that exists today. He dedicated it to Saint Francis of Paola, who lived in a monastery on this site in the 15th century. The church is reminiscent of the Pantheon in Rome. In front of the facade is a portico with six Ionic columns and two pillars. Inside the church is circular with two side chapels. The dome is 53 meters high.