The Foremost Preoccupation of the City's Rulers

Whoever rules the city must have the beauty of the city as his foremost preoccupation, and in fact our city must be honorably decorated and its buildings carefully preserved and improved, because it must provide pride, honor, wealth, and growth to the Sienese citizens, as well as pleasure and happiness to visitors from abroad.

–Siena's constitution of 1309

The Piazzo del Campo, above and below, was built by that government, so they weren't kidding.