Pienza, Renaissance commune in Val d'Orcia, Italy
Description
Pienza is a town at 491 meters elevation in the province of Siena, where streets arrange themselves around a central square. Buildings show pale facades with regular window rows, while arches and arcades shape the townscape.
History
The settlement carried the name Corsignano until a papal commission in 1459 initiated rebuilding work. Bernardo Rossellino designed the new layout within a few years, coordinating the square and main buildings closely together.
Culture
The town center features round fountains carved from pale travertine, while cobblestones curve gently through narrow lanes. Visitors often see locals sitting on benches against shaded walls, chatting with neighbors.
Practical
Buses from Siena run several times daily, while drivers park outside the old center and continue on foot. Lanes climb steeply in places, so sturdy shoes help.
Did you know?
The cathedral uses columns from different stone types, with some taken from Roman ruins and others quarried locally. Inside the palazzo, a hanging garden looks out through a loggia onto the rolling hills.
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Palazzo Piccolomini
237 m
Madonna di Vitaleta chapel
3.7 km
San Biagio, Montepulciano
7.9 km
Duomo di Pienza
254 m
Historic Centre of the City of Pienza
224 m
Cathedral of Montepulciano
8.4 km
Quercia delle Checche
7 km
Santi Quirico e Giulitta
6.5 km
Sant'Anna in Camprena
6 km
Horti Leonini
6.4 km
Pieve dei Santi Vito e Modesto a Corsignano
637 m
Vescovile Palace
239 m
Parco naturale dei Mulini
7.6 km
Palazzo Comunale
8.4 km
Palazzo Nobili-Tarugi
8.5 km
Palazzo Comunale
213 m
San Francesco
221 m
Riserva naturale di Lucciolabella
8.8 km
Sant'Agnese
9 km
Sant'Agostino
8.7 km
Castle of Spedaletto
5.3 km
Rocca di Tentennano
9.3 km
Chiesa della Madonna di Vitaleta
6.4 km
Castelluccio
9.4 km
Chiesa del Gesù
8.6 km
Pieve dei Santi Leonardo e Cristoforo a Monticchiello
4 km
Villa La Foce
10.1 km
Santa Maria Assunta
6.4 kmDiscover hidden gems everywhere you go!
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