Piazza Umberto I, Square in Capri, Italy

Piazza Umberto I is the main square of Capri town, set within old walls in the historic center. It has a rectangular shape, with the Church of Santo Stefano on one side and outdoor café seating filling the open space.

The square grew around the Church of Santo Stefano, which became a cathedral in the 18th century when the bishop of Capri settled there. In 1818 the diocese was suppressed and the island came under Sorrento, while the square later became a social hub with the opening of a famous café in the 1930s.

Locals call this square simply 'la Piazzetta', and it serves as the living room of Capri, where residents and visitors sit at café tables to see and be seen. The outdoor seating spills across the paving, and the ritual of a slow coffee or aperitivo here is part of daily life.

The square is easy to reach on foot from the nearby streets and makes a good starting point for exploring the town. It gets crowded in the middle of the day, so mornings or evenings are better for a relaxed visit.

Under the square, a network of old cisterns and passages is sometimes opened for small guided visits, revealing how water was once collected and stored. The clock tower above the archway still marks the hours for the whole town.