This square has been so named since 21 October 1860, the day on which the citizens of Monopoli plebiscitarily voted for the annexation of the city to the Kingdom of Italy, in the nearby church of San Francesco, following Garibaldi's landing at Marsala and the subsequent victories that decreed the end of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies of Francis II who had taken refuge under papal protection.
The missionary friars abstained, justifying their attitude of neutrality by stating that the rule forbade them any political activity. They had actually supported the Bourbons, and their convent, the current Carabinieri barracks, had often given hospitality to spies and authorities of the regime, such as the infamous Judge Ajossa.

In a petition addressed to Mayor Francesco Valenti (1860-1861), a group of citizens proposed that the monks' property be confiscated and donated to charitable institutions in the city, such as a boarding school for the people's children, a Savings Bank and Mutual Aid. The first act of the government council was to abolish the duty on flour, which had generated so much discontent among the population, who were living in unspeakable misery, made worse by the long drought, which had compromised the olive harvest.

The Largo Plebiscite area has recently been paved with the new chianche that bring out the beauty of this important historical site, returning it to its former glory.

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CREDITS: Comune di Monopoli.