"....the fan-shaped Piazza del Campo, is in fact a natural drainage basin at the joint between the hills. The great figural space of the Piazza provides relief from the congestion of dark, narrow, winding streets and ramps which comprise the town. The Campo is the physical, symbolic and ritual center of the town. Usually the center of active public life, twice a year the square is the site of a horse race, the 'Palio.' The radial paving pattern emphasizes the importance of the town hall, the Palazzo publico (1298) which dominates the straight edge of the square." --Gargus, p.149.
Keywords: Italy, Siena, outdoor spaces, settlements. Submitted by Robert Livesey.