Chiara Vanni

I have lived just off Piazza del Campo my whole life, so I know exactly which spot on the shell-shaped square gives the best view up to the Torre del Mangia without craning your neck too far. I explain why the square slopes the way it does and how that same slope turns it into a racetrack twice a year for the Palio. I keep my camera low and let the square's colours read properly, since the brick underfoot changes tone through the day. I try to time sessions around quieter hours when the square is easiest to actually see.