The famous public square in the heart of Siena is Piazza Del Campo. There are 10 different entrances to the piazza: the alleys and staircases and ramps and little lanes and several of those alleys are a good place to get a quick bite to eat as you're entering the Campo even though the company was a little hidden from view from the main pedestrian lanes you'll find that it's very easy to gain access nearly 500 feet wide and surrounded by shops restaurants in the towering Palazzo politico this is the very heart of town. Il Campo symbolizes the government in various ways -- one message the leaders proclaim with his large square was that they would rule the city properly and were therefore not worried about a revolution nor a gathering of large groups of people. The piazza’s divided by brick lines into sections that represent the governing Council of Nine at the time it was paved in 1349, which some people feel today that was the best government they ever had. Nine merchants and bankers ruled desiring to make themselves and everyone else rich and with the theme that all were welcome to participate the Council of nine presented a very new kind of democratic message for the Middle Ages at work so well that Siena became one of the richest cities in Europe. Like most of the rest of town the surface here is slanted along the slope of the hill adding an unusual dimension to this beautiful gathering place. Piazza Del Campo was and remains today the principal public space of the historic center and is regarded as one of Europe's greatest medieval squares it's renowned worldwide for its beauty and its architectural heritage. The Fonte Gaia, which means "fountain of happiness" was built in 1419 as an endpoint of the system of conduits bringing water into the city center. Construction of Palazzo Pubblico, or City Hall, began in the late 13th century in classic Sienese Gothic style, built of stone on the bottom level and brick on the upper floors, with crenellations, turrets and the tall tower giving it the appearance of a fortified castle. Parts of the large structure still function as the City Hall today. If you just want a free, quick glimpse you are welcome to walk into the inner courtyard, no charge, surrounded by an impressive arcade with colorful coats of arms and offering a dramatic view up at the Mangia Tower, while other sections are open to the public as the Civic Museum. Twice a year the Campo becomes an arena for a wild, bareback horse race called the Palio, with 30,000 screaming spectators crammed into the center and 20,000 more fans standing all around the outside and looking down from the windows and balconies. These festivities every July 2 and August 16 have been going on for the past 800 years. The shape of the piazza has often been compared in shape to a horseshoe, a half-moon, a sea-shell, and an amphitheater, and yet it’s commonly called a square. The open site was a marketplace established before the 13th century on a sloping site near the meeting point of the three hillside communities that coalesce to form Siena: the Castellare, the San Martino and the Camollia. It's a great place to have an outdoor meal at one of the many sidewalk restaurants that are around it your eating here more for the ambience than for the quality of the food you probably find some better food at a better price in the little back streets away from the tourist area but you can't beat this location especially in the evening as will be showing you. The piazza’s lined by palaces formerly housing the noble families of old Siena: the Sansedoni, the Piccolomini, the Saracini and others all build to a fairly uniform height and appearance. Regarding the timing of your visit to Siena, you want to get here in the afternoon so you can walk around and enjoy the town, go into to the Cathedral, enjoy the late afternoon Passeggiata, the stroll on the main street, and then at twilight come into the Campo for dinner. You will find this experience of eating an evening meal at twilight, sunset on the Campo, is going to be one of the highlights of your trip, no question about it. Sit back and relax, enjoy the ambience, have a carafe of wine, have some antipasti, have some salad eat, a main course. Don't worry about the pricing or the quality – it's going to be fairly reasonable – and just enjoy this environment and experience. You will probably look back on that moment in future years as one of the highlights of all your travels. And then after dinner you can stroll back up the main street heading to the bus stop.