Pienza

Pienza

Pienza is a small hill town in the Val d’Orcia in Tuscany that holds an outsized place in architectural history. Transformed in the 1460s at the command of Pope Pius II into an ideal Renaissance city, it represents the first planned urban environment of the humanist Renaissance and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.

History

Enea Silvio Piccolomini, born in the village of Corsignano, became Pope Pius II in 1458 and immediately set about transforming his birthplace into a model city. He commissioned the architect Bernardo Rossellino to design a cathedral, papal palace, bishop’s palace, and town hall grouped around a single harmonious piazza — all completed in just three years between 1459 and 1462. The pope renamed the town Pienza in his own honour. After his death the grand vision stalled, leaving Pienza as a uniquely preserved snapshot of early Renaissance urban planning.

What to See

Piazza Pio II is the architectural centrepiece, framed by the Duomo (with its luminous Gothic interior unique in Tuscany), the Palazzo Piccolomini, the Palazzo Vescovile, and the Palazzo Comunale. The Palazzo Piccolomini’s hanging garden overlooking the Val d’Orcia is particularly beautiful. Pienza is also celebrated for its Pecorino di Pienza cheese, sold in the town’s many specialist shops.

Getting There

Pienza sits between Montepulciano and Montalcino in the Val d’Orcia. The nearest railway station is Chiusi-Chianciano Terme, about 30 kilometres away, with bus connections. By car from Siena allow about one hour; from Florence around two hours. The surrounding Val d’Orcia landscape is best explored by car.

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