@nolachills: The Roman Ruin That Haunts Downtown New Orleans #hiddengem #NOLAchills #hauntedhistory #italy #historytok Most people walk right past it… but tucked behind buildings in downtown New Orleans is a strange, almost forgotten monument that looks like it was pulled straight from ancient Rome. This is the Piazza d’Italia—built in 1978 to honor the city’s Italian-American community. Neon-lit columns, a fountain shaped like Italy, and postmodern ruins were meant to symbolize pride and revival. But instead… the vision crumbled. By the 1990s, it had fallen into disrepair. Dry fountains. Cracked tiles. Abandoned. It was restored in 2004, but most locals have never even seen it. Carved into the stone are names of the people who made this dream real… but nearby, back in 1891, 11 Italian men were lynched in the largest mass lynching in U.S. history—victims of fear, prejudice, and whispers of the Black Hand. The piazza doesn’t tell that story… but we do. Follow Nola Chills for more haunted history, forgotten landmarks, and the eerie side of New Orleans they don’t put on postcards.

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Friday 25 July 2025 01:01:36 GMT