I was in Siena the other day. To me, it’s a capital of humanism. The Sienese are so self-assured. They remember their centuries-old accomplishments as if they reflect well on them today.
In this “land of a thousand bell towers,” they have the tallest and they seem the proudest. But my hunch is that it’s probably just an inferiority complex showing because their rival Florence is synonymous with the Renaissance, Michelangelo, and Leonardo. Say “Siena,” and you think panforte (fruitcake), a donkey race where there are no rules, and a Crayola color.
Siena does have my vote for the finest square in all of Europe. (Okay, blog-travelers, I’m curious — what’s your favorite square, and why?) Il Campo is a clamshell-shaped “square” of red brick where people hang out as if at the beach. It slopes gradually down to a grand building — not a church with a spire, but a crenellated city hall with a bell tower — the tallest in Tuscany. It stands like an exclamation point proclaiming that as a community, Siena comes together and makes life better for all.
Savoring a solitary moment here with a glass of vin santo (desert wine — borrowed from the restaurant) when the twilight sky is the same brightness as the rustic stones of Il Campo is a ritual for me.
Inside that city hall is a famous fresco called The Effects of Good Government. It’s 12.6 meters wide. Exactly 6.3 meters is devoted to the city, and 6.3 meters to the country — symbolizing how both need and help each other equally. (My hunch is that it was 14th-century propaganda to con the country folks into thinking they were respected by the urbanites who ruled them.)
If it’s true a society builds it tallest towers to its greatest gods (the architectural equivalent of “where your treasure is, there also you’ll find your heart”), then Siena worships secular effectiveness more than it trusts in God.
But Siena has a fine church, too. My guide took me in. When entering a church with me, my European friends normally sense I’m a Christian by my respect for the people and building and art. And this month, it seems every guide I’ve had (even in famously un-churched Italy) has touched the holy water and respectfully crossed themselves when we enter. On this day, though, my guide went on a little rant. She said, “We young Italians no longer go to church. We refuse to hear some old man telling us what we cannot do from that pulpit.”
Then we walked to the votives, where locals hang tokens of thanks to God for prayers answered. Next to the baby shoes, photos of healed people, and silver plaques with body parts pounded into them, was a corner that looked like a big hat rack at a race track. There, hanging obediently, were twenty bright and aerodynamic motorcycle helmets. I guess even young people who don’t like being told what they cannot do need to thank someone when they survive a motorcycle wreck.
Stepping outside, I saw a young Italian wearing a T-shirt declaring, “God is a DJ.”
Rick, I have yet to travel to Europe (that 6 week trip is EXACTLY a year from now – all being planned with your book- Thank you!) to find my favorite square there but this last summer on my 2 week visit to New York City my friend & I stayed about 5 blocks away from Union Square. We sublet an apartment which we found on Craigslist for 125$ a night. It was great to live like a New Yorker for a week. Union Square is always a bustling thoroughfare but we were surprised to find it bustling at midnight! There were tons of people just sitting around. We couldn’t figure it out. We discussed…”Are they watching the big numbers on the side of the building there? What were those big numbers? Seriously, what the…?” We finally just sat down in the crowd & realized they were just sitting. Taking a load off. People watching. Talking with or waiting for friends. Listening to the music. The music! There are incredible (& the not so incredible) break dancers! It was great. I recommend it to all!
Rick: We, too, experienced Siena’s beautiful square last September. We enjoyed a delightful supper in one of the restaurants on the square (the best tiramisu we ever tasted), and we feasted on a porchetta sandwich the next day at Noon. Civita’s square was so quiet, we would whisper to each other over our cappucino; Haarlem or Mainz, because, like many other European towns, the square turns into wonderful markets on Saturdays; but the best square is in Vernazza – with the sea on one side, the mountains rising behind, surrounded by restaurants, people walking hand in hand in the evening air, and linens hanging to dry from the upper floor windows.
Thanks for introducing us to these places. Safe travels.
Rick, I totally agree with David and Giny, Vernazza is the best. But I love Piazza Navona in Rome. There is so much going on, I could sit for hours, just people watching. Can’t wait to visit both again in October. Enjoying your blog (with a little envy) while planning our next visit to fabulous Italy.
Rick, I just discovered your blog, and I think is wonderful..you really inspire us to travel more and more. We have gone to Europe many times (had an expat experience in Spain), but it wan’t until last year that I experience travelling with “you” in our 3rd visit to Paris…it felt like the first time…we followed your tours in the City of Light and in the French/Italian Riviera, and found the best that these places have to offer…thanks!!! We are now heading to Sardinia and London…already got your London book; I am very sorry you haven’t written about the Mediterranean islands…(please do so one day…have only visited Ibiza, and it was beautiful, full of culture and good times). Anyways, thanks again for your great advise…thanks for my best time in Paris with your Marais tour, and for the best Italian food of my life (in Genova..forgot the name of the restaurant by the sea).
Rick, I would have to say Il Campo is my favorite piazza that i have visited in Italy. Siena is also home to my most favorite duomo. I love the beatle juicesc pattern of the alternating color marble stripes and the pope busts staring down at you.
Rick
I am sitting here with your guide books planning our trip for next week – May 11 to Croatia (Dalmation coast) and Venice. We love your guide books!
But, I am writing because I think I have done in my husband (a mobile double amputee) on my city selections for our trip next week. I did not realize the limited in city transportation for venice, dubrovnik etc. Do you have any tips/or know people who may have tips on on how to get around Venice, Dubrovnik etc with limited walking tolerance?? Can you suggest/provide source for help …. or best central hotels given the situation etc??
We love to explore on our own, vs tours -and in the past have used mopeds, or even have met local people who will shuttle us on their mopeds/in their cars
Any help appreciated – don’t tell my husband I asked
Carolyn
PS I LOVE Sienna.
I am surprised you have to ask! My absolute favorite square is the one I haven’t discovered yet! I loved turning that corner in a place Florence or Venice, only to have a square open up before me.
(Ah, but there is always a soft spot in my heart for “red square” at Western Washington University, my alma mater)
Piazza Navonna in Rome. I was there last year during the elections. I stumbled into a Socialist Communist Workers party rally with Peter Gabriel as the main musical attraction. I guess his song Sledgehammer was appropriate, since the hammer and sickle were everywhere….It was really a sight. Red flags and banners and folks yelling in Italian. I grabbed some pistachio gelato with my wife and took it all in.
Fred in Atlanta
Thanks for joining us….(Rick Steves lingo…)
My favourite square in Europe is Nuremberg Germany. Not just in Christmas, but especially in the summer. Rick in your recent Christmas in Europe video, the shots of the Nuremberg markets and square are just wonderful.
As for the tour giude telling you that she does not go to church to hear an old man tell them what not to do. I am a 33 United Methodist pastor. I can’t remember the last time I told anyone from the pulpit what to do or not to do.
Keep on traveling! Chow
I haven’t yet traveled to all the Italian squares mentioned above but plan to eventually! I do agree with some, I love the squares in Venice and Haarlem, but no one has mentioned Old Town Square in Prague. Fabulous buildings from Gothic to Art Nouveau, churches and clock tower to fountains and sidewalk cafes. It’s a lovely place and delightful for people watching. If you haven’t been to Prague be sure to put it on your list, you won’t be disappointed. It’s an amazingly well preserved, beautiful city from the Powder Tower to the Charles Bridge to the Castle on the hill. And one of my favorite aspect of touring any city… you can walk the entire time without really needing any motorized transportation!
Rick-
Looks like we missed each other – we were in the area, travelling with your books as always, and thought how funny it would be to run across you in the square – and now I learn that you WERE there. How funny!
Enjoyed Florence and Sienna – off to the Amalfi coast next week!
Gutte Reisung!
Rick, per the comment: “On this day, though, my guide went on a little rant. She said, ‘We young Italians no longer go to church. We refuse to hear some old man telling us what we cannot do from that pulpit.’“
The same thing is happening in America. The only difference is that it’s the stuffy old congregation members who are telling young people that can’t do this or that, and they’re doing it in much more subversive and passive-aggressive ways than directly from the pulpit. At least the Italian clergy have integrity.
Hi Rick,
We will experience Siena in early June with your book, of course. We will be coming there from Montalcino.
Cannot wait.
When is your next trip to Boston. We had the opprotunity of meeting you last time you were in Cambridge church for Globe Corner Bookstore.
Thanks always for your insights
Heidelberg, Germany just before dark with the snow falling.
I love reading your blog Rick, thank you!
My favourite squares are actually three: Piazza Navona (I love the fountain and the cafés and all the buildings), Piazza del Pantheon in Rome (I adore the Pantheon, it’s a smaller piazza but I find it lovely) and last but not least, Piazza San Marco in Venice, which I find totally magic.
And also, I really like the big plaza in Salamanca, Spain, very lively and beautiful too.
I hope to visit the piazza at Vernazza next year!
My favorite is Hallstadt, Austria. The central square with the views of the surrounding hills and the lake is breath taking.
Rick,
My favorite square is in Salamanca, Spain. I spent a summer there in 1997 studying spanish. It was a wonderful time, full of possibility and adventure. We would go to the square every night, as did most of the locals young and old. There are cafes around the sqare where you could sit for hours under the warm Spanish night and just enjoy drinks and conversation with your friends. On most nights the Tunas (music groups of young men from the university) would sing for us. How wonderful!
Thank you for your blog and for this nudge down memory lane.
I didn’t know people leave their helmets in the church on a memory tree so to speak. To honor being alive after a motor crash I’m thinking. Interesting! I’ve not seen that in the states.
I don’t know my favorite square yet. I have to come to Italy on vacation to decide–soon, I hope!
Have a good day and happy travels!
My favorite square is St. Peters in Rome.
As much as I love Il Campo in Siena, last September I had my breath taken away while walking into the Main Market Square in Krakow.
Maybe it was because it was dusk and the sunlight was making the buildings glow, or maybe it was all the cafes lining the square that were just starting to fill up with locals, but I definitely felt a spark in that beautiful place!
Happy Travels!
My Favorite square (so far) is Rottenburg Germany…Touristy I know, but it was just so much fun! Also, Stephanie (1st post) all of those big numbers in Union Sqare are just a clock.
P.S. Love the Blog! Please continue!
Will in NYC
Do I ever have a square for you!
It’s Argentina Square in Rome Italy.
There is a cat sanctuary. In the square are some ruins, and there are many cats kept there. The cats are feed, fixed, etc. For more information please go to
http://www.romancats.com
People can adopt cats there. I did some volunteer work there, and was so much fun. I was thrown in with the locals. Such nice people. Also, they sell beautiful cat items and 100% of the money go to the cats.
When my parents lived in Rome in the 1950’s the city fed the cats. Not anymore.
If you are a cat lover, please visit Argentina Square!
La Vita e Bella,
Lisa P.
My favorite European square is the main square in Brussels. Just GORGEOUS and there’s always something happening (like most squares, I know)
Rick – If you’re still in the hill country, do yourself and your readers a favor and check out Taverna Barbi in Montalcino. We tried to eat our way across Italy and this by far was our favorite. It’s close to a few of the other sites and shouldn’t be missed.
We spent a wonderful day in Siena three years ago. When we entered Il Campo the first time it was the lazy “beach” scene you describe. An hour later we wandered back for dinner only to find the place transformed. The square was packed with local people waving flags and cheering. The Palio teams were being chosen and everyone was screaming for their neighborhood. We found a table at a restaurant somehow and watched the spectacle. We felt totally immersed in Italy and this totally Siennese experience. Imagine the actual race.
Hi Rick – To answer your “Best Piazza” Pole: I vote as Napolean described: “Europe’s Drawing Room” Piazza San Marco in Venice! Rome too – at the Vatican & nearby Piazza Navona!
Piazza della SS Annunziata in Florence last summer when Italy won the World Cup. Fabulous. This square also has many hidden gems like the Santissima Annunziata and the sculputure by Brunelleschi over the orphange.
And…Vernazza’s harbor square. A fine place to find people drinking their morning cappuccino, sunning themselves in the afternoon, drinking a fine Cinque Terre wine at twilight and eating well into the night. Beateous!
Hi, Rick,
Others have mentioned many favorites like Piazza Navona, and Il Campo in Siena is perhaps the most perfectly designed urban space with its sloping, shell design. But I would add Radhuspadsen in Copenhagen. It combines an urban landscape of neon and traffic with the many spires and walkability of that beautiful city.
Thanks for the blog. You are exciting the wanderlust in all of us who follow you!
Walt
Piazza Navonna and San Marco in Venice are my favorites in Italy, but I have to say in France, I LOVED the square in Sarlat during the Saturday market. It was buzzing with locals and tourists alike, and when the skys opened up and the rains fell, it was such fun to duck under cover with everyone else and just ride out the storm! And then choosing meats and cheeses and bread and wallnuts and wine and strawberrys for our picnic that day (that turned into an indoor one due to the weather) what fun that was! It’s one of my favorite memories from my whole 3 weeks in France last year!
Ditto to some comments above: any square with gelato, people laughing, soft music, dogs, the one I haven’t yet discovered. I’m off to GAS in 2 weeks on one of your tours. I’ll discover a new square to love. I look forward to your blog and disappointed if there is not an update! Thanks for taking us along!
I have been to numerous countries in Europe but deciding my fave square in Europe is tough. I know one person mentioned Prague but with it being so touristy and with their being so many pickpockets, I didn’t enjoy that as much. Rome, Florence, Venice, Vernazza, Rothenburg, and others have their advantages. After seeing Rick’s episode on Salzburg and Hallstatt, I would LOVE to see Halstatt. But for the size of the square and the many different people, streets, and viewpoints, and the fact the city isn’t overrun with tourists, I would vote for the huge square in Krakow as entertaining. Only city I have sat for 2 hours just to people watch.
I have been blessed to visit London, Bath, York, Paris, Madrid, Frankfurt, but I think I enjoyed Madrid’s enclosed Plaza Mayor the most. Over a few day trip I enjoyed a laser light show inside the Plaza, a concert complete with speeches from government officials, and 12 Spanish bagpipe bands marching into the Plaza followed by a concert from each band. The Plaza is lively with locals of all ages sitting around enjoying life. The tourists seemed to stay around the Sol square and ignore the Plaza Mayor.
Sienna…absolutely wonderful square! I had my very first gelato here. I fell asleep laying on bricks, which is a wonder because I was a nervous wreck on my first trip abroad. The Trevvi Square is so iconic and call me superstitious, but I love the coin in the fountain myth. Vernazza – most definitely my favorite. So beautiful, so relaxing, so romantic.
One thing about about Siena…after I got back, I told everyone what a sense of pride I felt from the Sienese people. The Duomo was the best example of that. But I also found a sad part of that. I had a wine tour guide who moved from the country to Siena when he was a young teen. Everyone was established in their neighborhood sects and he was never accepted. The division lines were so strong – he couldn’t break them. Despite all that, he was the proudest Sienese man I could imagine. He spoke with soooo much love of his home. The pride in Siena is infectious. I loved it.
My favorite square in Europe has got to be San Marco in Venice. The stunning architecture surrounding the square; San Marco at one end with the bell tower hovering over everything; the pigeons hovering in a different manner; small orchestras playing at the various restaurants in the square; and of course, the ever- present gelatis. San Marco is simply wonderful.
#1 Piazza San Pietro
#2 Campo di Fiori
#3 Vernazza
All are great people watching places, and beautiful.
But Rick, last time I was in Il Campo, (fall, 2006) there were cars driving through the square! The charm that once was Siena (pedestrian friendly/traffic-free centro) has eroded significantly since I was first there in 2000. Spent more time dodging cars than window shopping last fall.
I have to agree with those who have mentioned the Plaza in Salamanca, Spain. I haven’t seen nearly enough of what Europe has to offer yet, but Salamanca, with its combination of history and modern youth, is simply wonderful!
Hey Rick~
My favorite is Old Town Square in Prague. :) I love all the colorful facades, the old clock, and entering the square from one of the quaint narrow lanes…(Okay, maybe I’m biased since I lived there for a year, but I love it!)
A few years ago, I spent Christmas day in Siena–just us and the locals and absolutely wonderful!
Thanks for all the blogs and valuable info. in your books! My husband and I leave for a 3-week Europe adventure next month, and I couldn’t have planned it without your help!
Hi Rick, this [b]may be off-topic[/b] & not “news”, but, if not, something that might be of value to you.
The top of your blog mentions your will be traveling to Croatia. IF you happen to stop in Llubyana you might want to check out the local university there. Way-Way back in the early 70’s, when traveling to Llubyana to visit a friends during my summer breaks from the the military {with no passport :)} I could stay at one of their college dorms. Nothing spectacular, just a typical dorm, but VERY cheap and clean. Back then I had a car, so I have no idea if there is bus service to the campus or not … I assume the university is still there. This could be a real inexpensive alternative for those on a tight budget.
I made reservations at Mar-Mar in Cinque Terra yesterday for a dorm room, mid-June. Say hello to them for me if you stop there. Thanks, for your Guidebooks. Now, I have to decide on a good, cheap, spot for 3 days in Prague.
Regards,
John Clements,Portland OR
We are going to Italy for the first time this June. I am using your book for help. The trip is 2 weeks total, with the first week consisting of a meditt. cruise. I think I may have a difficult time packing light since a cruise requires additional evening wear. Any suggestions?
John Clements, I have been to Ljublijana as well and it is a beautiful city. I actually went as part of Rick Steves’ Eastern Europe tour so I am sure Rick is very familiar with the city. One of the best guides Rick has for his tours (Marijan Kriskovic) is from Slovenia and Croatia and lives in Ljbuljana for part of the year. He has been a guide with Rick Steves for many years. I am sure Marijan has shared a lot about his city so if you ever want to know more about the city, see if Marijan is available for a tour if you ever get back there. I think he is listed in one of Rick’s books. I have been on two tours with Marijan and he is one of the brightest and nicest guys I have ever met. He made me love Slovenia even more because I knew him.
I loved Il Campo in Siena, as well. My all-time favorite, however, is the square in front of Notre Dame in Paris. In the evening, especially at sunset, it is magical. I find some of the best people-watching, and there are always street musicians that add to the atmosphere. My favorite Paris memory was here at sunset, listening to someone play classical guitar. After a wonderful hour of music, the gentleman decided that his finale would be “Stairway to Heaven.” He sang it loudly in French, with one of the worst singing voices I have ever heard. Prime material to write in the night’s postcards.
1.Piazza Grande in Montepulciano on New Year’s Eve !!
2. Pantheon Square
3.Piazza San Marco
To Carolyn re: Venice, see the accessible Europe graffiti wall.
Sienna is fine. So is the square in Hallstadt, Austria and the lovely, tiny square in Montene, Italy. Piazza San Marco after midnight when the music is finished and most people are gone. You, the breeze and soft waves on the gondolas.
So difficult to narrow it down. Certainly love the Grand Place in Brussels and the Place de Republic in Lyon as well as Siena, but if forced to choose just one, my choice is the Place du Vosges in Paris. The perfect combination of ancient and modern, of royal and common and very much a part of a neighborhood and not just tourists.
I can’t wait to see Il Campo in Siena, particularly after reading your description, Rick. I’ll be there in just 2 months from now.
My favorite squares so far are:
The main square in Portofino, Italy for it’s breathtaking beauty, particulary when you look at it from the cemetary on the hill above.
The main square in Vernazza for the pleasure of enjoying a plate of excellent pesto pasta after a half day’s walk on the beautiful trail of the Cinque Terre.
Place de l’Horloge in Avignon, France for it’s restaurants, carousel, nearby shops and being the center of everything.
Cours Saleya in Nice, France. Technically it’s a street, not a square, but a fun place to stroll with it’s market running down the center of the street and no shortage of restaurants.
Rick,
Several years ago in Paris I stayed at your recommended Hotel Castex. In the mornings I would gather breakfast supplies at a local shop and eat on a bench in the Place du Vosges. Very atmospheric spot. Also found a little piazza away from the crowds in Venice on that same trip- just a kid kicking a soccer ball. Great place to soak up the sun and the ambience. I enjoy following along on your travels with the blog. Thanks.
I don’t know that it’s my favorite or that it’s the best square, but La Place des Vosges is certainly one to which I have strong, sentimental attachment. While studying in Paris, I would often relax and picnic on the grass toute seule or with dear friends. Studying and chatting with mes amis was a lovely and pleasant ritual; and people-watching could often occupy the span of an entire afternoon. La PdV is, to me, an outdoor sanctuary where you can shelter yourself among regal arcades, families at play, and locals who make it a priority to take the time to simply relax and enjoy their day.
I tried to add a photo of a view of La PdV from Victor Hugo’s apartment, but I don’t know that it will work. If it doesn’t appear, please click on the link @ the bottom of this posting.
Thanks, Rick, for letting us in on your great adventures.
Safe and Happy Travels to All,
T.
http://item.slide.com/r/1/47/i/K8nNQF-D7T-uf_VbsKJkkE7DQ85KumKb/
My favorite square used to be Krakow, but last year I found it way overrun with other tourists – and the section in front of my favorite cafe was dug up. I think Lviv could be a contender, but again, it was a construction zone when I was there.
So right now my favorite (just beating out Brussels and Ceske Budejovice) is Levoca in Slovakia – interesting buildings, outdoor cafes, shops serving locals, along with very few tourists.
My favorite square is in Seville, Spain.
My favorite square is not a big one, but rather quite small. It has no restaurants or mimes in it. During the day, the older town folk gather on the bench under the clock tower discussing the news of the day. (since learning a little Italian, I realize that they are probably not discussing the politics of the moment, but rather the fact that the scaldamento is broken and their clothes won’t dry.) In the evening before sunset, the youngest boys come out to play in the makeshift football field in front of the church, as this is the only open space in town. Then arrive the teens to play. The little ones kindly relenquish their space and the communal football. By now, the sun has set and the shops are closed. The men arrive to finish out their day as it is now their turn to kick the ball around and score some points. All the while, the entire village has gathered for the evening. This favorite piazza is in front of the church atop the hill in Manarola. And the sunset is killer!
I am traveling to Italy in November (5th thru 11)How is the weather and driving conditions.We will be in Sienna,staying in a little farm house just outside of the town.We will vist Tuscany by car and the go on to Cinque Terre.We fly out of Milan.Any advise for my travels I would greatly appreciate.
Pat
Rick, thanks so much for your blog, I can’t wait to hear about Croatia and the Dordogne, two places I visted because of your shows and with your books that I never would have thought to go to otherwise.
Siena is one of my favorite cities, i love it, and the square is magical, but the Place des Vosges is my number 1. No matter how many times I go to Paris it doesn’t change, I hope it stays that way. There is also a little square in Arles that I can’t remember the name of, but I felt like I had stepped back in time.
Am off to Belguim and the Netherlands this summer with help from your books!
Rick, Grazie per il tuo ‘blog’ again! These Italian piazzas are my favorite so far: in Como, because Lake Como is right across the street from the square; in Aosta, because it is so small and perfect, espec. at sunset as the stones in the buildings change color; and in Milano, because it is so huge with so much going on; espec. since we were there last Nov. and were fortunate to watch the full moon rising over the Duomo! Glo
There are simply too many squares to mention, and luckaly almost all of my favorites already have been. I do, however, dearly love Place des Vosges in Paris. It’s a place where tired travelers can sit back, eat a baguette with camembert and watch the parisian children play on a Wednesday afternoon. My classic memory of the place is of a little boy (no more than two) running after pigeons carrying a baguette that was almost bigger than he was. Before his father could take it away from him, as it was dragging on the ground, he sneezed right on it! The poor dad wasn’t sure what to do. He didn’t want to throw it away, yet who wants to eat a snotty dirty baguette?
Rick,
My family moved to Torino August 28, 2006 and we’ve completed literally about 3/4 of your Italy 2007 book.
We spent only an afternoon in Siena, and quite frankly I don’t get it. I have no use for Il Campo. You can’t sit on it, it’s sloped, and there are not that many outdoor cafe’s (at least when we were there in the Fall).
My favorite square so far was actually not in Italy, but Spain…Plaza Mayor in Madrid. This was a place to sit down, enjoy your favorite beverage, and soak it in.
My family has benefitted tremendously from your books, we’ve got a lot left to do before we head back to the states in 2008!
PS…We just missed you last month. We stayed in Orvieta at Valentina’s B&B, and apparently you had stopped in a few days before.
Rick, I love many city squares I’ve seen in Europe, the US, and Latin America. My favorite has to be the main square in Krakow. Not only the size, which is awesome, but more importantly, the locals gathering in the evening for dinner, drinks, shopping and just strolling. To me, it represents the Poles ability to overcome a sordid history, springing back with new life and zest. It helps make Krakow one of my very favorite places.
I’ve been lucky enough to see many squares in Europe, but two of my favorites have to be the Place des Vosges in Paris and the Plaza de los Pilatos in Seville. Not as large as some of the others, but they are beautiful and sentimental favorites.
Okay, blog-travelers, I’m curious — what’s your favorite square, and why?)
I have traveled for over 25 years around the world. Asia, S. America and Europe. My wife and I have spend every summer holiday in Europe for the last 10 years. And where do we want to keep going back? You got it Siena. To sit in the Piazza del Campo sipping lemon cello late at night and people watching is high. Last year we went to Spain, stayed on the grounds of the Alhanbra in the monastery commissioned in 1492 by Isabella and wondered at the sites. But still at night we spoke about next year in Siena.
Why The Campo
In Siena we last time stayed in a rented apartment just across from the Campo during the Palio. Watching this race with friends from Germany we became one with all the peoples emotions, for a moment we were Siena.
Walking around the Campo one can not help to smile with the people, smells, history and shop keepers.
Looking at The Torre del Mangia as the sun sets against a blue Siena Sky.
My all time favorite duomo is Milano.
After living in Italy for a year, my family and I traveled to a different destination in Europe every weekend, I am sure Milano is benissimo!
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We remember a young lady in the uniform of the Italian Post Office, who turned off the motor on her little Post Office Vespa motor scooter and coasted down a long, long, street in Siena, Italy. To summarize Siena: the Plaza del Campo — Siena’s civic center — is incredible; the Torre del Mangia — the fairest tower in Italy — is astonishing; the Palio delle Contrade — an exciting bareback horse race — is phenomenal; the Duomo (Cathedral) — built with horizontal dark green and white stripes — is conspicuous; the streets are exhilarating — Siena invites a stroll through its narrow streets, lined with palaces and patrician mansions. (1980)
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I am looking for restaurants in Rome, florence and Amalfi that serve wheat and gluten free pasta and pizza. please e-mail me if you know of any.
Piazza Argentina is my favorite, for the cat sanctuary and for the ruins they’ve unearthed there! I shall never forget it!
Rick,
I enjoyed your comments about Siena which we fell in love with when we visited there with your guidebook in March of this year.
The civic frescoes were beautiful. The Duomo was particularly beautiful. And that is saying something in a country filled with beautiful churches. The Piccolomini library was a delight.
Your photograph of the votive candles just outside the chapel of the Madonna del Voto brought back a particularly fond memory.
Whenever my daugher, now at the UW, travels to Europe for her studies I ask her to light a votive candle and say a prayer for me in a church where she is studying. The last time she did this for me was when she was in Paris at the cathedral of Notre Dame.
Well, when my wife and I were in Siena I took advantage of votives you photographed to light a candle and say a prayer for my daughter.
The young tour guide you were with, “dost protest too much.” Deep, humble religious feeling is still alive and well in Siena.
We just returned from Italy (5th trip). Siena had more Americans than Italians in the Il Campo. Pienza is my favorite little Italian village. Lucca is another big favorite. Both are very pedestrian-friendly. http://tourtuscany.blogspot.com/2007/06/tour-of-tuscany-part-two.html Is our blog on our driving tour of Tuscany.
Siena definitely gets my vote for the best square/piazza! But perhaps I’m biased because I was married in the town hall located on the Piazza del Campo … :) Siena is the best! Cheers, Crissy Vancouver, BC, Canada http://www.sockmonkey75.blogspot.com http://www.paraviondesign.com
My favorite (and the very first place I took my boyfriend to when he visited me in Paris): Place des Vosges. The most beautiful: Grande Place, Brussels. The best for a good party: Rembrandtplein, Amsterdam. And, of course, Prague’s famous square; it’s so unique in that it’s comprised of so many different architectural styles. Historical, jaw-dropping, marveilleux.
No contest. Place Stanislas, Nancy, France.
The wedding processions we saw at Il Campo made it our favorite square. In the course of an hour or so as we sat sipping and munching something-or-other, about a dozen wedding parties walked past headed to City Hall. The processions were quite uniform: parents, grandparents, friends all dressed up, the nervous groom leading his blushing bride. The brides, without exception, were very obviously about 8 months three weeks and six days pregnant. Reminded me of our just-in-time delivery systems here!
Rick, My wife and I are traveling to Northern Italy this year. We will check out what you said in your blog that Sienna has the most beautiful square in Europe. Last summer we traveled to Hungry, Chech Reublic, and Poland. We felt Krakow Square was just the Greateat. Great cafes, and Resturants, an American that setup a business selling bagels, beautiful Churches, easy to get to, and most important friendly people and safe all hours of the day. We look forward to Italy, we have found your books , blog sites and TV programs most helpful. We can not travel without doing our homework using your materials. Rob
My vote for the best plaza is definitely Haarlem, Netherlands.
Rick, my husband and I spent the month of April following you around northern Italy. We kept meeting people who had just seen you, showed us where you sit with your laptop clicking away, and EVERYONE had your book. We followed your suggestions totally and were delighted (also with the whole month without rain!). One thing: we were told that the “motorcycle helmets” in the cathedral in Siena were from thankful Palio riders, (not motorcyclists). Makes sense.
Hello All, I was wondering if anyone knows where in Italy can you get married without a birth certificate that is required to get the Atto Notorio and Nulla Osta. A company called “Slow Dreams” is advertising that somewhere in Naples (or nearby town) you can just show up with a passport and they can do it for you in 2 hours. We are two recent college graduate who cannot afford their fee of $3000 for the service and hoping we can do this ourselves. If anyone know which town we should go to to do this, we would greatly appreciate it. Your help is greatly appreciated. We are staying in Vernazza (Cinque Terre) but willing to take the train to any region. I apologize if this is posted in the wrong place.
Have travelled with your book thru Italy,France, Greece,etc. Loved many of the famous ” squares” This Aug., I found a new favorite in Brugge- what a pretty city & far less crowded than most.
It’s difficult to cite a favorite piazza in Italy, and my experience is somewhat limited, but I recommend the Piazza Santa Croce (and its eminently historic church, where Michelangelo and Galileo are buried)) in Florence, a quintessential square; the Piazza Bra in Verona, with the third largest Roman amphitheater in Europe and the largest outdoor opera festival every summer; and the lovely Piazza Erbe’, also in Verona.
I’d like to second the previous comment about Piazza delle Erbe in Verona. It is simply beautiful, perfect proportions, museum-quality frescoes on some of the buildings, and a bustling farmer’s market in the mornings. I went back there time after time just to sit and experience the beauty and peaceful ambience of this extraordinary square!
I’m an Italian now residing in Southern California and I got the chance to travel extensively throughout Italy and Europe. Il Campo di Siena is arguably the most impressive Piazza in Italy and in the whole world. It’s shell shape, the palaces around it and the incredible Palazzo del Comune with its bell tower create a unique atmosphere. Other must see Piazzas are Piazza Navona in Rome, Piazza San Marco in Venice and Piazza della Signoria in Florence are all well known and much visited, but there are also other beautiful Piazzas around Italy, out of the beaten tracks. Piazza Sordello in Mantua, Piazza Ducale in Vigevano, Piazza San Carlo in Torino, Piazza del Popolo in Ascoli Piceno, Piazza del Duomo in Spoleto and Piazza Grande in Perugia are to my opinion between the most scenic and beautiful Piazzas and are certainly not packed by tourists as the other ones. If not really hidden jewels, they are at least marvelous examples of integrated architectures.