Piazza del Campo

Piazza del Campo

Piazza del Campo is the central public square of Siena, Italy, and one of the greatest medieval squares in Europe. Designed in the shape of a scallop shell divided into nine segments — representing the Council of Nine who governed medieval Siena — it slopes toward the Palazzo Pubblico and its soaring Torre del Mangia, completed in 1348.

History

The piazza took its current form during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, when Siena was a powerful banking and trading republic rivalling Florence. The nine brick segments radiating from the central drain (the bocca di Cannegattoli) were laid in 1349. The Fonte Gaia, the marble fountain at the upper edge, was carved by Jacopo della Quercia between 1408 and 1419; the current version is a nineteenth-century copy, with the originals preserved in the Museo Civico.

What to See

The Palazzo Pubblico (1297–1310) houses the Museo Civico with Simone Martini’s Maestà fresco and Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s celebrated Allegory of Good and Bad Government. The Torre del Mangia, at 102 metres one of the tallest medieval towers in Italy, can be climbed for panoramic views. Twice each summer the square transforms into a dirt racetrack for the Palio di Siena, a horse race of extraordinary intensity run in honour of the Virgin Mary.

Getting There

Siena is served by bus from Florence (1h20) and by train via Empoli or Chiusi. The piazza is at the heart of the pedestrianised historic centre, a short walk from any city gate. Entry to the square is free at all times.

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