The history of Siena has been made on the Piazza del Campo, or better, 'il Campo', as they call it.

Here the Sienese organized their spectacular and terrible 'games', later replaced by the Palio, where they celebrated and played games of risk (il Campo was the only place where the games were allowed). The market also used to take place here.

Il Campo has witnessed the passage of memorable characters in the history of Siena: Santa Caterina, the mystic saint deeply linked to the image of Siena, and also artists such as Simone Martini or Jacopo della Quercia.

Piazza del Campo is a unique place in the whole of the world, starting with the very particular conformation of the ground, which turns the square into a big concave shell.

The paving is made of red bricks arranged in fishbone style, divided into a sunburst pattern by nine strips of travertine (in memory of the Government of the Nine, who ruled over the city from 1292 to 1355).

The white marble of the Fonte Gaia stands out on the paving, it is the masterpiece of 1419 by Jacopo della Quercia, later replaced by a copy

There is also the Palazzo Comunale (town hall), unusually built on the lowest part of the square, and also the tall, slender Torre del Mangia that stands out against the sky (it reaches 102 metres including the lightning conductor).

At the base of the Palazzo Comunale is the Chapel of the Virgin, or Chapel of the Square

The Chapel of the Virgin, or Chapel of the Square, was constructed and voted for by the Sienese, after the end of the terrible plague of 1348.

The piazza took shape at the end of the 1200s, on a space that was for a long time used for fairs and markets and was situated at a crossroad of important streets.

When it was built (the flooring dates back to the 1300s), it managed to hold the entire population of Siena, who gathered here to attend events, tournaments, and buffalo and bull races.

Surrounding are the elegant façades of the Palazzi Signorili, belonging to the wealthiest of families: the Sansedoni, the Piccolomini, and the Saracini.

Piazza del Campo has hosted almost all the important events in the history of the city, from the time of the Republic up until the Medici period, during which Siena come under the control of Firenze di Cosimo I de'Medici.

The Palazzo Comunale, edified by the government of the Republic of Siena between 1298 and 1310 as headquarter of the Government of Nine.

Not the stone but the brick was used to build it, while the white elements are of marble. Every window is adorned by an ogive that contains it. Merlons are of flat-top type.

The Tower of Mangia, was the temporal "bell-tower" of Palazzo Comunale and it is among the tallest Italian ancient towers, getting to 102 m (the only one taller is the tower Torrazzo in Cremona). It was built from 1325 to 1348. The four corners are precisely orriented in direction North-South and East-Ovest

You can walk up the tower's 505 steps for some great views of Siena

Basilica di San Clemente in Santa Maria dei Servi

Piazza del Mercato and Valdimontone

Valdimontone is situated in the south-east of the city. Traditionally, its residents were tailors.

Onda runs south from the Piazza del Campo in the centre of the city. Traditionally, its residents were carpenters.

Sound: Antonio Salieri - Concierto para violín, oboe y chello

Text: InternetPictures: Daniela IacobArangement: Sanda Foişoreanu