The Piazza della Repubblica, formerly known as Piazza dell' Esedra, was designed by the Roman architect Gaetano Koch (1849-1910).
Piazza della Repubblica is a product of the large-scale urban redevelopment that was undertaken after Rome was declared the capital of Italy in 1871. The piazza was originally called Piazza dell' Esedra, as it is laid out on the remains of a grand exedra (a semicircular architectural recess) from the Baths of Diocletian. The exedra is recalled in the layout of the two palazzi with porticoes, which stand on the south-western side of the piazza.