Getting up at o’dark thirty is always a challenge to anyone but the benefits to a photographer are well worth it. On our second day in Siena, we all decided to head out to see the city while it was still dark and without the throngs of people that are usually there. Wandering around with no particular plan, we happened upon some great narrow streets that gave us views that were more photogenic than they are during the daytime.
A little more than an hour after we left our hotel, we came upon the Piazza del Campo during the blue hour. The Piazza is considered one of Europe's best examples of a medieval square for its beauty and architecture. It serves as the meeting place for visitors and locals alike and is the principal public space and historic center of Siena. This was the first time I had seen the Piazza totally vacant of people. We stopped at this short alleyway to the Piazza where we could see the Palazzo Pubblico (town hall and seat of the Siena government) that was built in the 12th century and the Torre del Mangia (tower) that was built in the 13th century. The tower was built to be the exact height as the Siena Cathedral to symbolize that the state and church had equal power.