Piazza del Campo (Campo Square), Siena (must see)

Campo Square is the beating heart of Siena and one of the most remarkable medieval squares in Europe. Carefully planned during the 13th century, it occupies the site where three ancient settlements and three important roads once met.

Pause to admire the square's distinctive shell-shaped layout, paved with red brick in 1349. Eight bands of white travertine divide the surface into nine sections that radiate from the central drainage point in front of the Public Palace. This unusual design is easiest to appreciate from the square's highest northern edge. Look down across the radiating brick sections and trace the pale stone lines fanning out like ribs from beneath your feet toward the base of the shell. These divisions commemorate the Council of Nine, the government that ruled Siena from 1287 to 1355, a period regarded as the city's golden age. They are also traditionally said to represent the folds of the cloak of the Virgin Mary, Siena's patron saint and symbolic protector.

To preserve the square's visual harmony, the city government issued building regulations in 1297, ensuring that the surrounding palaces had a unified appearance. Dominating the southern side are the Gothic Public Palace, once the seat of the Government of Nine and now home to the Civic Museum, and the soaring Mangia Tower. Follow the travertine lines down the sloping brick pavement toward the lowest southern edge of the square to face the palace and tower. Glance up along the tower's slender brick shaft to see its pale travertine crown. Together, the two buildings form one of Italy's finest medieval civic ensembles.

Near the upper edge of the square stands the elegant Joyful Fountain, completed in 1343 and later adorned with elaborate marble sculptures in 1419. Walk back up the slope toward the northwestern perimeter and take time to observe the delicate marble carvings lining the inner walls of its rectangular basin.

Campo Square is also the setting for the world-famous Siena Palio, the thrilling bareback horse race held each year on July 2 and August 16. During the event, the track around the edge of the square is covered with packed earth, and the city's historic districts compete for honor. The square also hosts Carnival festivities and serves as the dramatic finish line of the Strade Bianche cycling race.