Piazza del Campo is the shell shaped square where Siena has staged its civic life since the late 12th century, when the comune fused two market areas into one sloping, fan shaped public space. Nine sections of paving radiate from the Fonte Gaia at the top, said to represent the nine-member government that ruled medieval Siena, the Governo dei Nove. Twice a year, on 2 July and 16 August, the square becomes a dirt racetrack for the Palio di Siena, a 90 second bareback horse race between the city's contrade that draws crowds packed shoulder to shoulder against the buildings. On any ordinary day it works simply as the best place in the city to sit, eat gelato, and watch Palazzo Pubblico's Torre del Mangia change color with the light.
A civic square central to Siena's historic urban composition, documented as a late-12th-century unification of two market sectors into a single public space.
Sources and citations (5)
- Visit TuscanyPiazza del CampoRead source
- UNESCO World Heritage CentreHistoric Centre of SienaOutstanding Universal Value, urban developmentRead source
- UNESCO World Heritage CentreHistoric Centre of Siena 717Urban development and Piazza del Campo formationRead source
- Comune di Siena, Biblioteca Digitale SeneseQuando il Campo diventa spettacoloMunicipal cultural archive focusRead source
- UNESCO World Heritage CentreHistoric Centre of SienaRead source
