Thereabouts

Field square

Universal symbol of the city, the particular formation of Piazza del Campo is just one of the reasons why UNESCO identifies Siena as the perfect and ideal example of a mediaeval city: it was built, in fact, in the exact place where the three ancient hilly cities gently sloping joined together, before joining forces to create the community of Siena.

The main square, or rather called by all ‘Il Campo’, was built on the intersection of the three main roads that led to Siena and destined to be a neutral land where you can celebrate political and civil festivals and anniversaries. The homogeneous architectural shape of the square and the buildings that overlook it is, of course, not accidental: the municipality created special guidelines in 1297, even before all the buildings of the square were erected, including the civic ones. If some structure had not been well homologated to the guidelines, it was demolished, as happened to the ancient church of San Pietro e Paolo. This means that the harmonious coexistence between the buildings and the square is nothing more than the result of the will of the leaders who have succeeded each other in command of the city.

Cathedral of Siena

The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, is one of the most prestigious and important Romanesque-Gothic Italian churches. It was consecrated in 1179 by the Sienese Pope Alexander II, and the work continued for about two centuries: in 1313 the bell tower was finished and in 1317 the expansion began.Siena was at its maximum of its power and therefore demanded a larger Cathedral, but the plague of 1348 caused the work of this ambitious project interrupted. Today you can see the traces of the columns and the large Facade, testifying to an unfinished work. The imposing facade, in white marble with decorations in red of Siena and serpentine of Prato, is divided two: the lower half, in Romanesque-Gothic style created by Giovanni Pisano, with the beautiful rose window framed by Gothic niches and the busts of

The whole interior is dominated by black and white colour, which refers to the colours of the city’s coat of arms. The interior houses masterpieces of inestimable value, a real treasure chest of works of art, starting from the pulpit of Nicola Pisano (1265-68). In the Piccolomini altar you can admire four sculptures by Michelangelo: St. Augustine, St. Piero, St. Pius and St. Paul.

Public Palace

The Palazzo Pubblico is one of the most famous monuments of the city of Siena. Looking at the facade on Piazza del Campo you can immediately notice the various periods of construction: at the first order of three-light poles the stone was used, then the brick. The windows, in the typical Sienese style, have three Gothic arches side by side and resting on columns, while in the centre of each ring, between arches and the main acute arch of each window, a coat of arms of Siena has been inserted. The centre body is raised one floor with respect to the two side wings.

On the top it has a crenellated crowning of the Guelph type, that is, without the dovetail end. At the centre of the facade a large disc presents the monogram of Christ (also called bernardian monogram): it was executed in 1425 by Battista di Niccolò and Turino di Sano. Below, the Medici emblem, on the sides, the Balzana (the bench and black coat of arms of the municipality of Siena) and a rampant lion. The small holes that prowl the facade are the so-called pontaie holes, where mediaeval builders framed the wooden poles to pull up the scaffolding needed by the construction site.