Piazza del Campo, Siena

The unquestioned heart of the city since the middle of the 12th century, Piazza del Campo was built on the site of a former Roman marketplace. This historic public space is one of Europe's greatest medieval squares, renowned for its beauty and architectural integrity. A twice-yearly horse race, the Palio, has been held around the piazza's edges for several centuries. The square is surrounded by several palaces, the most notable of which was erected in the 13th century as the centerpiece of this shell-shaped space. The piazza's striking pavement, made of red bricks arranged in a fishbone pattern, attracts passing tourists and local students. Most visitors pack around the white marble fountain designed and built by Jacopo della Quercia, a notable sculptor of the Renaissance period. Make Piazza del Campo a centerpiece of your Siena vacation itinerary, and find what else is worth visiting using our Siena route builder app.