Siena - Piazza del Campo

The central feature of the old town of Siena is the Piazza del Campo, a spacious scallop-shaped square dominated by the massive facade of the Palazzo Púbblico (Town Hall). Its unity and harmony make this one of the finest of all city squares. Divided by strips of light-colored stone into nine sections of brick pavement, the square slopes up to the semicircle of houses which bounds it on the northwest. At the upper end of the central section is the Fonte Gaia (Fountain of Joy). The richly decorated rectangular fountain basin, a masterpiece by Iácopo della Quercia (1419), was restored in 1868; the original reliefs are now in the Palazzo Púbblico. The harmonious effect of the Piazza del Campo is largely due to the fact that the handsome houses on the opposite side of the square from the Palazzo Púbblico show very similar stylistic features to the palazzo. Particularly striking is the Palazzo Sansedoni (1216-1339), to the right of the Fonte Gaia.