#1 Piazza del Campo: The Beginning and the End
Welcome to Piazza del Campo, this beautiful shell-shaped piazza. All things in Siena begin and end in the Piazza del Campo. This should be your first walk in Siena and your last. Enjoy the atmosphere here in the family room of Siena. Have a seat on the ground, grab a gelato, and enjoy some sun. You are in the living room of your home here—you should feel it. Initially, the piazza was a sloped area where rainwater could drain. Later, it became a place for an open market. You can access it through any of the eleven passages between the buildings around the piazza.She is a WomanThe piazza is female. When you refer to her, use the pronoun “she.” In Italian, the article with the word piazza is la in the feminine. This goes for all piazzas, but the Campo (often referred to as il Campo), is the most feminine of all Italian piazzas. She is the mother of Siena, representing the embrace of the Madonna. The piazza, like Siena, is female.She is Familiar, Not FormalNotice how many people sit right on the pavement. You will probably not see this at any other piazza in Italy. Think of other great Italian piazzas (Navona in Rome, della Signoria in Florence, and St. Marco in Venice). Usually people interact in a piazza by standing up, sitting in a café, or walking, but rarely sitting on the ground. By contrast, Il Campo of Siena, with a gentle slope and a theatre-style shell, invites you to sit. She is informal. She wants to meet you in an informal way, in a familiar way. This is typical Sienese style.
#2 Piazza del Campo: Historical Background
I TerziSiena began as three villages on neighboring hills. These three villages, thirds, orTerzi, eventually grew together forming one city of Siena. These thirds were the Terzo di Camollia on the north side of the city, the Terzo di San Martino on the southeast side, and the Terzo di Città on the southwest side. Look on your Siena city map. You will easily identify the Terzi now that you know them. As these three villages eventually grew together, La Piazza del Campo, once only an unpaved field, developed and unified the villages in a central, neutral area.I NoveSiena was one of only two city-states (the other was Venice) not ruled by a king or a noble. Until its fall to the Duchy of Florence in 1555, Siena was a republic; as such, it was ruled was ruled by nine aristocrats who were elected to serve for one year. This governing system was known as the rule of i Nove (the Nine). During their rule, they lived a life isolated from family and friends, inside the Palazzo Pubblico, dedicated to their work as civil servants. This way, there was, hopefully, no influence that might corrupt their decisions of rule over the Republic of Siena. Their rule lasted from the thirteenth century to the fourteenth century, the richest and most powerful time in Siena’s history. During this time, La Piazza del Campo was built; thus, the nine sections of the square represent each aristocrat. Can you see the nine sections on the pavement? They look like slices of a pie.The PalioHere, in Piazza del Campo, the Sienese run the Palio, a bareback horse race where ten of the seventeen historical contrada or districts of the town compete for the Palio, a painted rectangular banner depicting the Virgin Mary, protectress of the city during the plague in 1348. Each year, on 2 July and 16 August, the whole town gathers here to cheer for their contrada. During Palio days, the peripheral area of the piazza is changed into a racetrack covered with dirt and sand where horses and jockeys compete. The Corteo Storico, a beautiful parade in Renaissance costumes, precedes the race. Following the parade, contestants ride around the piazza three times for a short ninety-second race. Emotion, pride, and passion are at the highest levels as the Sienese cheer for their contrada and boo their adversaries. If you are in Siena at Palio times, make sure you participate in the excitement and choose a favorite contrada among the Eagle, Caterpillar, Snail, Owlet, Dragon, Giraffe, Porcupine, Unicorn, She-wolf, Seashell, Goose, Wave, Panther, Forest, Tortoise, Tower, or Ram Contrades. The Sienese are born into their contradas; they do not change during their lifetime. if you are a guest or a visitor, you should probably choose contrada loyalty based on your friendships in Siena.
#3 Piazza del Campo and the Contrade
Piazza del Campo is bordered by six contrade: Tower, Wave, Eagle, Forest, Owlet, and Unicorn, but she herself is neutral; no contrada may claim her as part of their territory. Because of this neutrality, contrade are prohibited from celebrating dinners or victories here. However, in 2009, the Owlet Contrada overstepped authority and violated this neutral principle by celebrating their Palio victory with a dinner on the piazza. This occurred because of a political connection between an influential individual within the Owlet and the mayor of the city.
#4 Fonte Gaia on the piazza
The fountain of joy, or Fonte Gaia, completed in 1342, carries the main water supply of the city from a twenty-five-kilometer underground tunnel called Bottini. Great jubilation accompanied the creation of the fountain and its waters; hence, its name. Yet, tradition asserts that the original architecture and accompanying sculpture featuring the pagan statue of Venus was destroyed because it was believed to be the cause of the Black Plague within the city. The current sculpture, designed by the famous Sienese sculptor Jacopo della Quercia, was completed in 1419, and was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, as noted on the central panel.As you are looking at the fountain from the front, on the left panel you will see the depiction of the creation of Adam. On the right, you will see the panel depicting the flight of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. The Virgin Mary sits surrounded by Roman matrons and the cardinal virtues (prudence, justice, temperance and fortitude. See if you can identify these virtues. Due to disrepair, replicas by Tito Sarrocchi replaced the fountain panels in the nineteenth century. The original sculptures may be seen in the museo di Santa Maria della Scala. Two sculptures that have not been restored to the nineteenth century fountain include images of Acca Larentia (adoptive mother of Romulus and Remus) and Rea Silvia (mother of Romulus and Remus), but they are also at the Santa Maria della Scala Museum. Feel free to refill your water bottle here at the spouts on the sides; the water is clean and potable.
#5 Palazzo Pubblico on the piazza
The largest and most dominant building on Piazza del Campo is the Palazzo Pubblico. Tradition states that on other piazzas in Italy sits the duomo (cathedral), but here the Palazzo Pubblico is a sort of secular church demonstrating the independent spirit of the Republic of Siena. Have a seat somewhere on the piazza so we can talk about the architecture of the building before you enter.The Palazzo Pubblico was constructed between 1288 and 1310 to serve as the main seat of city government during the rule of the Nine. Before, during the rule of the Twenty-four, the city government was located in the Church of St. Pellegrino. The name ofPalazzo Pubblico’s original architect is unknown. The piazza was a prime location for the construction of the city government building, since it was well protected within the heart of the city, and especially from the direction from which the Florentines would approach (Porta Camollia in the north side of town). Initially, only the ground level and the first floor were completed. (Remember, in Italy the first floor is what we would call the second floor in the US.) The ground floor has a series of Sienese arches over the windows and doors. A Sienese arch is a round arch inside a pointed Gothic arch. The first floor has a series of mullioned windows with Gothic arches. Within each arch is the coat of arms of Siena—white over black. In 1680, the second and third floors were built to match the Gothic Sienese style. At the very top of the palazzo is a large, framed disk with the initials of the name of Christ, which represents the monogram of San Bernardino, an important catholic saint from a Sienese family. This Christogram is an abbreviation of the name of Jesus. First, it was IH∑OY∑, or Iesous (Jesus), which, over time, became the abbreviation IHS. On the first floor, you will also see a coat of arms of the Medici (six balls on a shield), who eventually conquered Siena. In the past, there was a balcony on the center of the façade, but it was demolished during the last century. Palazzo Pubblico still houses Siena’s city hall, making it the oldest government building still in use. It also houses a beautiful museum, where you can see some of the halls used by the lords of Siena in ancient times.
#6 Museo del Palazzo Pubblico
In the museo del Palazzo Pubblico, the principal rooms you will see include the following:The Sala del Mappamondo anciently displayed a rotating geographical map by Ambrogio Lorenzetti. This, unfortunately, has been lost, but you can still see the markings on the wall on your right. On the opposite wall, there is a beautiful famous fresco by Simone Martini, the Maestà (1312–15). The most important image in the Palazzo Pubblico, this fresco reminds all city officials who is really in charge in Siena—the Madonna. She is enthroned underneath a canopy with the Christ Child, surrounded by saints and angels.In this same room, you will see a large fresco of St. Christopher carrying the Christ child. Remember, Siena is on the Via Francigena—the French pilgrimage route to Rome, and St. Christopher is one of the patron saints of travelers. In this room, the meetings of the General Council of the Republic of Siena took place. In a nearby room, they still celebrate civil weddings. If you are lucky, you may see a bride.Ambrogio Lorenzetti painted the Hall of the Nine and Hall of Peace, known as the “Allegory and Effects of Good and Bad Government.” They depict the city and its countryside, with positive images for the good government (with personifications of justice, peace, wisdom, harmony, etc., as well as happy people trading, working, and dancing), and negative ones for the bad government (with personifications of tyranny, cruelty, betrayal, war, etc., along with images of crimes, disease, and drought). These images continually reminded the Sienese of the importance of having good and honest rulers who would promote the well-being of the city and public happiness.The chapel with the wooden choir seats and the frescoes depicting the life of the Virgin by Taddeo di Bartolo dates to 1407.There is a staircase that goes up to the balcony at the back of the palace. From there, you may admire the beautiful Sienese landscape. Because of public functions, sometimes this balcony may be closed to the public. Ask for directions if you cannot find it.Finally, the Sala del Risorgimento is dedicated to depicting episodes from the Italian Risorgimento, or the unification of Italy under King Victor Emmanuel II.
#7 Torre del Mangia
Adjacent to Palazzo Pubblico, you will see the Torre del Mangia (Tower of the Eater), so called for its first janitor, Giovanni di Balduccio, a man who liked to eat and have fun, spending all his money on food and entertainment. During the time this tower was built, most bell towers in Italy belonged to the church. However, this tower does not belong to a church, demonstrating the fact that the Sienese wanted to be independent of the Catholic Church and its priests, for which reason the Torre del Mangia was supposed to be as tall as the cathedral. It was built between 1325 and 1348, and was, at the time, the tallest secular tower in Italy (288.71 feet). Its four corners lay perfectly in the north/south and east/west directions. There are three bells, with the biggest one called Il Sunto. It is definitely worth a climb, and from the top, you can enjoy a beautiful view of the Piazza del Campo and the Sienese countryside.
#8 Cappella di Piazza
As you walk again outside Palazzo Pubblico and look at its façade, you will see a beautiful marble loggia, known as the Cappella di Piazza, added in 1352 as a vow for the Holy Virgin by the Sienese survivors of the Black Death of 1348. The pilasters were remade in the current form in 1376; the sculptures decorating them were created between 1378–1382 by Mariano d’Angelo Romanelli and Bartolomeo di Tommé. The simple wooden ceiling once covering the loggia was replaced in 1461 to 1468 by the current Renaissance marble vault by Antonio Federighi, also responsible for the bizarre decorations of the coronation. From 1537 to 1539, Sodoma painted a fresco over the altar, now housed in the town museum in the Palazzo Pubblico.
#9 Piazza Architecture
Turn around and look at the rest of the piazza. You will see several cafés and beautiful buildings crowning this beautiful space.On your right, the first palace after Via Rinaldini is Palazzo Chigi-Zondadari. Its construction began in 1724 under architect Antonio Valeri. The owner was Cardinal Antonio Felice Zondadari, who lived in Rome but often visited Siena, his family town.Immediately following, you will see the beautiful red façade of Palazzo Sansedoni, built in Gothic style during the thirteenth century by the Sansedoni’s, one of the most important aristocratic families of Siena. Ambrogio Sansedoni (1220–86) studied with important people of his time, such as St. Thomas Aquinas, and was a famous speaker. He convinced Pope Gregory X to revoke his excommunication from the city so he could return. In the seventeenth century, another Sansedoni, Rutilio, miraculously recovered from a terrible illness and thanked the Lord by building a beautiful chapel in baroque style inside the palace. Outside, on the façade decorated with Guelph merlons, you will see an imposing tower on the front.As you continue looking around the piazza, you will notice another beautiful building on top of the Ristorante al Mangia; this is the Casino dei Nobili(Noble’s House), believed to be designed by Duccio in 1309. In medieval times, it housed the Merchants’ Guild. The architechture combines elements from both the Gothic and Renaissance styles, evoking the sense of history that blankets Il Campo. You will notice that this is the most central building on Il Campo. If you were on the other side of the buiding, you would be on Via di Citta looking at the entrance under the Loggia di Mercanzia. Some of the most valuable and important seats for viewing the Palio are located here.The American writer Henry James recorded his impressions of a moonlit visit to Piazza del Campo in the nineteenth century. Of her, James wrote: “The gigantic houses enclosing the rest of the Piazza took up the tale and mingled with it their burden. ‘We are very old and a trifle weary, but we were built strong and piled high, and we shall last for many an age. The present is cold and heedless, but we keep ourselves in heart by brooding over our store of memories and traditions. We are haunted houses in every creaking timber and aching stone.’”1 (347).James poetically invites us to consider that the buildings of the piazza are alive, that they have a spirit that “haunts” the space they are in through the many people who have lived here and visited Piazza del Campo. Can you feel the living energy of the piazza itself?Now that you have studied the history and architecture of Piazza del Campo, take some time to enjoy her: look around, smell the scents, notice the people, sit on the pavement, or enjoy a cool aranciata, a slice of pizza, or a gelato in one of her many cafés. This is the heart of Siena, the home of the Sienese. Make sure to come back in the evening when Palazzo Pubblico shines with lights and the moon looks over the piazza. In any case, come back often.1 James, Henry. Italian Hours. London, William Heinemann, 28 October 1909
