Pienza

Visit

Palazzo Piccolomini

Palazzo Piccolomini is unanimously considered to be the first example of Renaissance architecture - and set the example for all other Renaissance architecture to come. A beautiful internal court sits at the back of the palace, its perimeter covered in tall walls with three windows which, facing southwards, look straight at Monte Amiata, the extinct volcano that can be spotted on Val d’Orcia’s horizon. A three-storey loggia leads the way to the courtyard, designed to be a traditional Renaissance Italian-style garden, of the exact same size of the palace itself. Below the garden is a vaulted stable which used to house up to one-hundred horses. The marvellous palazzo was officially inhabited by the Piccolomini family until 1962, and has now become a museum.

Palazzo Vescovile

As Pope Pius II was in the process of building Pienza one palace at the time, he encouraged all his cardinals to do the same, in order to complete the city in the richest fashion possible. The Palazzo Vescovile was built as a place that would house the bishops who would travel to Pienza to have an audience with the Pope. Nowadays it is a museum with an impressive art collection which includes works by Pietro Lorenzetti.

Palazzo Comunale

When Pienza was still known as Corsignano, it received the status of comune,( municipality), so it needed a building that would represent the town’s new urban position. A three-arched loggia faces the main piazza on the ground floor, a space which could provide shelter from bad weather and a meeting place for traders to convene. The Palazzo Comunale is equipped with a bell tower, which is interestingly shorter than the cathedral’s bell tower, in order to show that the church held the upper hand and greater power over the state.

Duomo di Pienza

Pienza’s Duomo is the finest example of the Pope’s architectural wishes and philosophy. In creating the basilica’s plant, Pope Pius II was greatly influenced by his time spent in Germany. He wanted his church to have three naves of the exact same height. A second unusual characteristic are the gigantic windows that almost go from floor to ceiling, allowing for great amounts of light to enter and fill the church with a bath of natural light. Hidden within the cathedral’s piazza is a clock: the circle at the centre of the square acts as a sundial, a discovery only made recently. After studying and observing the shadows cast upon the piazza by the Duomo for a few years, a German professor came to the conclusion that the church's position in relation to the square was no coincidence at all. On two occasions throughout the year, ten days after the summer solstice and ten days before the winter solstice, minutes after the sun reaches the highest point in the sky - around 1pm - the cathedral’s shadow perfectly aligns with the squares on the ground, touching every line in a perfectly symmetrical way. The shadow is never so precise throughout the rest of the year, so it cannot be just a coincidence. The professor was then able to prove that in the 1400s the central square acted as a clock and calendar, and it is believed that Pope Pius II built it as a way of reminding his citizens of the passing of time, and of its value. The Duomo was consecrated on the day of the winter solstice, meaning the shadow was perfectly aligned with the square on that day too.

Pieve dei Santi Vito e Modesto in Corsignano

Also known as the Pieve di Corsignano, it is a Romantic age place of worship that dates back to the 12th century. Its bell tower dates back to the 11th century and has an architectural style that can be found in Ravenna and wider Emilia Romagna, although some of its parts date back even further, to the 6th century, when the original church was built. Underneath the Pieve, in its crypt, is a plainly decorated baptismal fountain in which two Popes were baptised: Pius II and his nephew, Pius III. An element that makes the ancient church even more precious and a valuable historical artefact is the figure depicted on the last column to the left: the snake named Regolo. An ancient Roman divinity which was still worshipped throughout the 6th century in central Italy, when the Pieve was built. Although snakes are considered evil figures in Christianity, Romolo was not considered as such by some whereas by others he was considered the king of snakes - and of evil. Its portrayal in Corsignano’s Pieve is one of the last surviving depictions in the whole of Italy.

The Pieve is closed on weekends.

Via dell’Amore & ancient wall promenade

Walk above Pienza’s medieval walls for the best sweeping views of Val d’Orcia and Monte Amiata, then make your way through the narrow streets which are all named in a very creative - and romantic - way.

Pozzo dei Cani

In Piazza Pio II you can admire the travertine well, adorned by half moons, the Piccolomini symbol. The concept of having a central well was then replicated in many other Tuscan towns.

Idyllium

cocktails & view

An award-winning mixology bar below Palazzo Piccolomini with a 180° view of Val d’Orcia.

Bar Casello

aperitivo with the locals

Prop your glass of Brunello on the ancient walls and admire the sunset amidst Pienza’s locals.