Vescovile Palace, Renaissance palace in Pienza, Italy

Vescovile Palace stands on the left side of Piazza Pio II, facing Palazzo Piccolomini. Its sober Gothic facade has a tall portal and two rows of windows with Guelph crosses, and the Borgia family coat of arms is visible on the corner facing Corso del Rossellino.

The Gothic palace was donated by Pope Pius II to Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, then vice-chancellor of the Catholic Church, who renovated it during the 15th century as his own residence. Its sober facade has a tall portal and two rows of Guelph-cross windows, and the Borgia coat of arms is visible on the corner facing Corso del Rossellino.

The palace's name comes from its use as the bishop's residence; the Gothic building was given by Pope Pius II to Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, later Pope Alexander VI, who remodelled it in the 15th century. On the corner facing Corso del Rossellino, look for the Borgia family coat of arms.

The palace sits on the main square of Pienza, making it easy to visit other Renaissance buildings nearby on foot. Its central location means you can explore the town's key sites in a short walk from this point.

The Borgia coat of arms is carved on the corner of the facade facing the Corso del Rossellino, a reminder that Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, later Pope Alexander VI, renovated the Gothic building as his own residence in the 15th century after Pius II gave it to him.