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| This public space impresses without intimidating, and offers, simultaneously, rich variety and coherent consistency. It is foremost a place for people: a place to gather, to stroll, to admire the architecture, to survey other visitors in that special Italian way of seeing and being seen. In short, the Piazza encourages humanity. Its strength is its very lack of formal composition. It is not symmetrical and does not impose a rigid order on people. The walls of the buildings that enclose the square vary in height, colour and materials, yet they create a continuous enclosure punctuated by the narrow streets that radiate from the Piazza. The campanile of the Cathedral provides the dramatic exception that gives the composition vitality: its powerful verticality offers focus to the Piazza and contrast to the handsome horizontal paving stones. The Piazza’s versatility is proven when the famous Palio occurs and the Piazza is converted into a racecourse. With much Medieval pageantry horses gallop round the square with thousands of spectators cheering them onward. This spectacle is twice a year, while the value of this public space is proven every day as it offers generous hospitality to all who come and visit. Larry Malcic London |
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