Campo dei Fiori Delight

Campo de fiori

Proximity: In an urban context, Campo de Fiori is close to Piazza Navona, Piazza Farnese and the major bus stop at Largo Argentina. In the context of the site, restaurants are adjacent to merchant stalls, with buyers and sellers in very close proximity to each other. Personal space is very small in this piazza.

Repetition: The piazza was designed to be symmetrical, shaped like a rectangle with the statue of Bruno sitting in the center. Tables and canopies of the restaurants that surround the piazza clearly define the hard edge that exists at the border of public and private space.

Simplest and Largest Figures: The largest figures attempt to establish verticality to the piazza. The statue of Bruno directs the gaze upwards, while during the day the tents and canopies of the merchants establish a leveled hierarchy in the piazza. The Terrina fountain is a fairly simple piece, consisting of two bowls that collect water. It is fairly plain and was once used to distribute water to livestock, hence its utilitarian features.

Figure/Ground Relationship: The objects within Campo de Fiori relate fairly well to its surrounding, as the surrounding buildings aren’t very tall. The statue of Bruno and the Terrina fountain are objects that are closer to human scale, rather than larger insertions that can be seen from afar. These two objects complement each other fairly well, and from up close they mesh well with one another. Both direct the viewers gaze upwards and break up the monotony of the rooftops that surround the piazza.

Proportion: The urban landscape fits well into a human scale while retaining a small manageable space in the piazza. The close quarters are created through the 3 story buildings, the merchant stalls and the narrowness of the piazza itself. It is very easy to traverse both physically and through sight.

Scale/Rhythm: The scale of the piazza seems to fit well into the greater urban context of Rome. Although not quite as large as piazza Navona to the north, Campo dei Fiori’s size fits in well with its use as an open air market every day. The close relationship between the buyer and the seller is replicated by the close quarters of the piazza. Onlookers and shoppers form a rhythm that is consistent throughout the day, and is the most pleasing part of the piazza. The people who sit outside the flanking restaurants provide a nice counterbalance to the movement of people through the piazza

Texture: The textures in Campo de fiori consist of Stucco, cobblestones, and brick. These are textures used throughout Rome and fit in the piazza quite nicely. The square seamlessly fills a niche in that section of the city.

Light and Color: The piazza usually sports a warmer hue of yellow and orange, due to the color of the surrounding buildings and canopies and tents that are set up there. At night the lights illuminate the piazza, the yellow glow from the tungsten lamps accentuates what would be normal during the day.

Ornament: Other than the statue of Bruno, the Terrina fountain and the public drinking fountains, the piazza is mostly devoid of ornament. Ornament is created through the goods that the local merchants sell during the day, and the lights that come on when the sun goes down and people gather in the piazza.