“Don’t bother with churches, government buildings or city squares, if you want to know about a culture, spend a night in its bars”
– Ernest Hemingway
In some ways he was right but perhaps not about city squares. A city square, especially the main one of a capital or major city really does seem to be the focal point for the soul of its country. It just seems to be the right place to go to for a beginning or end point of a march, a place where people congregate to celebrate often national events (think of the celebrations and people dancing in the fountains in Trafalgar Square at the end of the second world war and in Times Square on V-J Day), or even to protest (the Arab Spring protests in Tahrir Square, Egypt in 2011). An art exhibit or cultural event can often find a home in the city square too.
As a hub and axis point for the city, it serves as a useful focal point – where buses end or start their routes, they serve as intersections for the major roads and pedestrian paths that navigate the city.
For enjoyment and leisure. The city square is a place to go and people watch, sit in a café and take it all in and go for the pleasant afternoon or evening walk.
The measure of any great civilization is its cities and a measure of a city’s greatness is to be found in the quality of its public spaces, its parks and squares.
– John Ruskin
Crowd In Piazza di Citta. Celebrating The End of Carnival. Ivrea. Piemonte. Italy. Photo: Vittorio Sciosia/REDA&CO/UIG 
Czech Republic, bohemia, Prague, view across the city and the old town square with the church of our lady before tyn on the right. Photo: Eye Ubiquitous/UIG 
Anarchist Meeting, Union Square, New York City, New York, USA, Bain News Service, May 1, 1914. Photo: Glasshouse Images/UIG 
View over Market Place with statue of Silvius Brabo, guildhalls and the Cathedral of Our Lady, Antwerp, Belgium. Photo: Arterra/UIG 
Gilded Wrought Iron Gate And Lanterns, Created By Jean Lamou On Place Stanislas, Nancy, France. Photo: Insights/UIG 
Farmer’s Market, Union Square, New York City, New York, USA. Photo: Glasshouse Images/UIG 
Black Lives Matter Protest Crowds in Union Square Park, New York City. Photo: Education Images 
Portugal, Lisbon, Rossio Square, traditional-style mosaic pavement. Photo: Jeffrey Greenberg/UIG 
Portugal, Lisbon, Tagus River, Baixa, Terreiro do Paco, Praca do Comercio, Aerial of plaza. Photo: Jeffrey Greenberg/UIG 
The Cloth Hall and Town Hall Tower, at Main Market Square Rynek Glowny, Krakow, Poland. Photo: Lucas Vallecillos/VWPics/UIG 
Concert, St. Mark’s, Place, Venice, Italy, Photochrome Print, Detroit Publishing Company, 1900. Photo: Circa Images/UIG 
Italy. Veneto. Venice. Piazza San Marco. 1920-30. Photo: Touring Club Italiano/UIG 
View of Piazza San Marco from the Campanile di San Marco (St. Mark’s bell tower), Venice, Italy. Photo: Nano Calvo/VW PICS/UIG 
Piazza San Marco. Venice. Italy. Photo: Giovanni Mereghetti/UIG 
Tourists outside of the National Gallery at Trafalgar Square in London, England. Photo: Edwin Remsberg/VWPics/UIG 
Trafalgar Square with the National Gallery and St Martin-in-the-Fields church in London. Photo: Chris Harris/UCG/UIG 
Tourists in Piazza Navona square. Rome. Lazio. Italy. Photo: Mauro Flamini/REDA&CO/UIG 
Italy. Lazio. Rome. Piazza Navona. Photo: Alessandro Serrano’/AGF/UIG 
Tian’anmen Square. Beijing. China. Photo: TPG/UIG 
Barcelona City, Catalunya Square. Photo: Prisma by Dukas/UIG 
Crowd of General Dwight Eisenhower Supporters converge on Times Square after Parade, New York City, New York, USA, Dick Demarsico, New York World-Telegram, June 19, 1945. Photo: Universal History Archive/UIG 
Crowd in Times Square on V-J Day at time of Announcement of the Japanese Surrender, New York City, New York, USA, photograph by Dick Demarsico, New York World-Telegram, August 14, 1945. Photo: Universal History Archive/UIG 
The Brussels city museum located in the Grand Place, Brussels, Belgium. Photo: Edwin Remsberg / VWPics 
A general view shows St Peter’s square and St Peter’s basilica during a mass marking the Jubilee for Catechists in Saint Peter’s Square at the Vatican on September. Photo: Godong/UIG 
Djemaa el Fna square, Marrakech, Morocco. Photo: Giovanni Mereghetti/Education Images/UIG 
Iran. Isfahan. Imam square. Photo: Giovanni Mereghetti/Education Images/UIG 
Asia, Iran, Isfahan, Imam square, Jameh mosque. Photo: Giovanni Mereghetti/UIG 
Taksim square. Istanbul. Turkey. Photo: Giovanni Mereghetti/Education Images/UIG 
Cities stand with Ukraine, Piazza Santa Croce, Florence 12 March 2022. view of the square full of people and flags. Photo: Francesca Lungarotti/UCG/UIG 
Poland, Krakow, Main Market square, Rynek Glowny. Photo: Giovanni Mereghetti/UCG/UIG 
Piazza del Campo during the Palio, Siena, Tuscany, Italy. Photo: Vittorio Sciosia/REDA&CO/UIG 
Piazza del Campo square. Siena. Tuscany. Italy. Photo: Giuseppe Greco/REDA&CO/UIG
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