A piazza is an open public square in Italy, usually surrounded by buildings. The Italian piazza is the center of public life. You'll often find a bar or cafe and a church or town hall on the main piazza. Many of Italy's towns and cities have beautiful main squares with decorative statues or fountains.

piazza, square or marketplace in an Italian town or city. The word is cognate with the French and English “place” and Spanish “plaza,” all ultimately derived from the Greek plateia, “broad street.” The most celebrated Italian piazza is that designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in front of St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome.