Piazza d-Italia

This plaza was obviously a very grand location at one stage and some restoration appears to be in progress. The Piazza d’Italia, owned by the city, was a gathering place for the Italian community. It is also monument to the Italian-​American community and their contribution to the City of New Orleans.
This is designed in 1978 by renowned postmodern architect Charles Moore and is one of his best known and influential work. Apparently the plaza also had a cameo in the movie The Big Easy.
The Piazza is inscribed in Latin, split into two sections.
On the left, FONS SANCTI JOSEPHI and on the right, HVNC FONTEM CIVES NOVI AVRELIANI TOTO POPULO DONO DEDERUNT.
This translates as: The Fountain of Saint Joseph: The citizens of New Orleans have given this fountain to the all the people as a gift.
The fountains were not operational so I would presume they are not lit up at night either.
I think it would be wonderful to revisit when full restoration has been completed.

This is a striking plaza, worth a look if you are in the area. A must-​see if you are interested at all in architecture. Regretfully, this place seems to be on another downhill slide. There was a major renovation in 2004, but some sprucing up is needed again. Several heavy tiles have been taken up and are randomly lying about. Drainage seems to be a problem, as there is alot of standing water. The façade could use washing, as it is discolored in places. No one at all was visiting the couple of times I checked it out while staying at the Loew’s.

Completed in 1978, and later considered a «post-​modern ruin» prior to restoration about a decade ago, this is one of those «hidden in plain site» attractions.
My friends and I found it on a Tuesday afternoon and were alone in the plaza’s eerie grandeur.
Definitely worth checking out if you are in the area!

While I was in new orleans walking around I stumbled upon this place by accident. It was one of the most random, but beautiful things! It became my favorite architecture/​art. It wasn’t until I posted it on facebook and a native NOLA friend told me what it was that I learned what I discovered. It was interesting that it seemed a secret gem of new orleans. The water fountains were so beautiful though and it was a nice sunny day. Such a beautiful perfect moment.

A hidden gem. A hidden-​in-​plain-​sight gem.
I had read about Piazza D’Itlaia when it was first built, and have always wanted to see it. But when I finally got to New Orleans, none of the locals had heard of it… and it is right at the edge of the French Quarter.
I finally found it. It was delightful, in spite of the fact that I was the only one there.

The architecture is impressive. A good place to sit down for while and rest. I dont consider it a a must to see in Nola, just a good stop, if you pass by. But, of course for people interested and Italian culture and architecture it will be very cool.

The original intention of the Piazza d’Italia was to be a «surprise plaza,» a hidden architectural park that one may MAGICALLY discover upon happen-​chance. Perhaps the designers took it’s purpose took seriously because almost *no one* knows about this once famous Modern Architectural monument in the Warehouse District and it’s as abandoned as the Roman ruins it was modeled after!
Ah, but when you find it!
The park looks like the love child between Miami Vice and the Roman Forum. Indeed, the Roman features were intended to honor the Italian-​American community here. And while the park is funky, bright, and quintessential eighties, it is absolutely magical to explore in person! The first time I stumbled upon Piazza d’Italia it was gated up and I could only view its majesty through the morning New Orleans fog and repressive black bars! Spite!
I have been enamored with Piazza d’Italia since I learned about it in my Art History class and it was certainly on my «Bucket List.» To see it locked up on my way out of town was torture! I could see the giant clock, trickling waterfalls, and the bright flamingo colors all tantalizing out of reach! Unfortunately, I couldn’t get too mad because I hadn’t been searching for it — I had been searching for a gas station!
Fast Forward to 5 years later!
Me and my husband were nonchalantly walking up to Café Adelaide and the Swizzle Stick Bar when I happened upon its stately GLORY! Piazza d’Italia! We wasted no time and ran into the park! We split up and hopped upon the stepping stones nearby the rippling fountain, we walked up the giant steps being careful not to get sprayed by the waterfall, and we modeled for each other because Piazza d’Italia makes a GREAT backdrop for photos! Besides being historically important, Piazza d’Italia is just all around fantastic to explore and no visit to New Orleans should be without it!

This place is architecturally significant! It says so in a textbook I have from the one college architecture course I took (which of course makes me an expert).
A little history helps put this place in perspective. Constructed in 1978 and restored in 2003, it is a very well respected post modern piece of architecture. Visitors and residents were to emerge from the tight confines of the surrounding streets and emerge onto an open Italian style city square. Well, it didn’t quite work out that way (more to do with the surrounding area than the Piazza itself), but it is still probably my favorite spot in the entire city, a serene oasis.
Next time you are close by, check it out and do me one favor. Stop for a couple minutes and really soak it in. Walk the steps, dip your feet in the water, look at it close and from afar. Maybe you’ll fall in love with it like I did.

A little bit of Italy in our own backyard!
I didn’t even know this place existed until a few years ago when a photographer suggested that we do a photo shoot here. I was blown away that something so cool was right in the middle of our city.
I love the different fountains and water scapes and at night it is just gorgeous when it is all lit up. Taking pictures here is always fun, because someone will inevitably ask where the photo was taken and express shock when you tell them that it is right here in New Orleans.

This is a beautiful place, right across from the Ambassador Hotel. It was a very refreshing view in the city. Not to mention that the water coming off of the wonderful display was refreshing as well in the New Orleans heat. While you are meandering the streets, by all means, stop by, observe, and relax. Slow everything down for a moment.

I’m working on a movie idea (financiers take note). Its called –Get me to the Piazza d-​Italia, and step on it… With cameras filming, we get into cabs all around the French Quarter and even within a block of the Piazza, we toss the driver a fifty, tell him that its an emergency and we must get there immediately… and then film his shrug of confusion as he likely has never heard of what was once to be one of the most important tourist landmarks in New Orleans and now is a symbol for what is so lovably wrong with our city. Comedy gold.
Ambling about drunkenly through the CBD me and my besodden friends bumped into it and my friends (who amongst them have probably lived here a total of 80 years, were all like: WTF? What is that? Forget about cherishing what is called Post Modern Architectures first ruin, many have no clue it even exists. Nobody except me, the Yale Architecture school, and various drunken vagrants (I fit 2 of those categories).
Piazza d-​Italia rules. Its a swimming hole, Its a sitting park, It even has a giant clock. And columns. Since that was not quite enough, a few years ago they added a bunch of neon. Cant have too much neon. Somehow this oddity was supposed to have led to the redevelopment of the entire CBD, become a jam packed tourist attraction and serve as a tribute to the contributions of Italians and Sicilians to our city (muffalettas, St Josephs day, WOP salads, Irenes and naked ladies on Bourbon Street to name a few).
Its actually a really pleasant place to relax, city fenced it in so its closed after dark now. I took that personally, as near as I can tell I was the only person who was ever there at night, but it is another key component in understanding New Orleans… mainly that if something wasnt built by 1936 in this city, it is doomed to failure. 4x over budget, looted for copper many times, and just a crazy idea that shockingly didnt catapult New Orleans into the future.
Not sure if this review expresses my love for the Piazza, come to think of it, dont bother going out of your way to see it, its charm is in the fact that for all intensive purposes, it doesn’t really exist.
(PS, someone finance my movie… for serious, itll be awesome.)