The public square is, according to Landscape Architects Network (LAN), “the architectural emblem of a society in all its forms – economics, politics, protest, food, fun and enjoyment – and is, at the same time, the stage for all these constructions”. For its part, Lonely Planet, one of the world’s largest publishers of travel guides, considers squares to be “the heart of city life, a magnet that attracts tourists, the nerve center of many cities and towns”. LAN, a website specialized in disseminating information related to Landscape Architecture and how people use and appreciate outdoor spaces, has published a list of some of the best public squares around the world; this, pending the release of a more complete ranking that will include a hundred outstanding locations. “Public space is important, as it is supposed to be just that. Public. For you and me, and the person sitting next to you,” says LAN guest author Sonia Jackett. Here are the 5 best squares in the world. A World Heritage Site since 1979, this square, also known as Imam Square, is considered one of the most beautiful in the world, according to LAN, and was built by Shah Abbas I the Great in the early 17th century. This place is flanked by the Royal Mosque, Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, Qeyssariyeh Portico and the 15th century Timurid Palace. “All these monuments are an important testimony of social and cultural life in Sephevid Persia” (between the 16th and 18th centuries), notes the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco).For the organization Project for Public Spaces (PPS), despite its tourist attractions, Meidan Emam “remains, above all, a place that embodies local civic pride.” It is a medieval square with “cultural buildings around its perimeter, warm colors and rich textures,” LAN notes. Unesco, meanwhile, stresses that Piazza del Campo, “located at the crossroads of three hills, is one of the most remarkable urban open spaces in all of Italy. Its formation coincides with the growth of the medieval city.” According to Project for Public Spaces, this urban space “defines the city. It may be the most demonstrative example of how the influence of a square can spread, like the tentacles of an octopus, through the surrounding streets. Moreover, thanks to its design you can see everything in the square from any corner.” It is a 23,100 m² cobblestone pedestrian space that is home to iconic Russian buildings in its immediate vicinity: the Kremlin, the Basilica of St. Basil the Blessed, Lenin’s Mausoleum, the State History Museum, the Scaffold, the GUM building and the Monument to Citizen Minin and Prince Pozharsky. “It is often considered not only the central square of Moscow, but also of Russia, as the main avenues of the city, which connect with the main roads of Russia, originate from the Red Square,” says LAN. Located in front of St. Peter’s Basilica, St. Peter’s Square welcomes millions of Catholics and tourists every year. It was designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in the 17th century and its design includes columns surrounding the ellipse-shaped square with an Egyptian obelisk at its center. According to LAN, the construction reflects “Baroque grandeur at its best”.
Bernini’s design includes 284 monumental columns and 88 pilasters bordering it in a four-row portico, embracing visitors in “the motherly arms of Mother Church.”
