Campo Bandiera e Moro Square Historical Timeline

Origins

The square takes its older name, Campo della Bragora, from the island it occupies, and for centuries it was known by that name alone, centered on the church of San Giovanni in Bragora, whose origins reach back to the 8th century.

Turning points

In 1844, three young men connected to this square -- brothers Attilio and Emilio Bandiera and their friend Domenico Moro, all trained at the Austrian naval academy -- landed in Calabria with a small band of followers, hoping to spark a revolt for Italian unification. Betrayed by an informer within their own ranks, they were captured by Bourbon troops; on July 23, 1844, the two Bandiera brothers and nine companions, including Moro, were executed by firing squad near Cosenza.

Influential people

Emilio Bandiera was born in Venice, and a plaque on the facade of the neighboring Palazzo Soderini, facing the square, commemorates the brothers' connection to the family home there. Their father, Baron Francesco Bandiera, was himself an admiral in the Austrian navy, the same service his sons ultimately turned against in the name of Italian independence.

Cultural evolution

In honor of their sacrifice, the square was elevated to the more prestigious title of piazza for a period afterward, and it was eventually renamed Campo Bandiera e Moro, displacing the older Bragora name from everyday use even though the church itself kept it.

Present-day significance

Today the square remains a quiet residential corner of Castello, its Risorgimento-era name a reminder of the Bandiera brothers and Domenico Moro's failed uprising, alongside the considerably older church that still anchors it.