Tour of Pienza

What is the trip about

Corso Rossellini in Pienza It is the most important street of the village which is accessed from the door to the Prato which is located in the West. Along this road you can admire the Gothic church of S. Francesco, dating back to the late thirteenth century, where you can appreciate a table of the school of Duccio Boninsegna, the frescoes of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, a Madonna attributed to Luca Signorelli and paintings by Balducci and Lorenzetti. On the other side there is the Ammannati building, built, as well as other structures, during the general plan for upgrading the city territory wanted by Pius II. Here you can indulge in pleasant walks among the characteristic shops that will tempt you with their exquisite local gastronomic products, especially with pecorino, exclusive typical product of Pienza that will whet your palate.

Piazza Pio II This square, with its particular trapezoidal shape and its characteristic herringbone flooring, is the animated and animated center of Pienza. This square was built according to precise patterns, to satisfy the nascent humanist representations of the Renaissance society. Here the Cathedral, the Piccolomini palace and the Town Hall stand out. In front of the Piccolomini palace you will notice a wonderful well, executed on a project by Rossellino in 1462.

The Cathedral of Pienza: This structure, built in Renaissance style on the façade and with a Gothic style inside, was designed by Rossellino and is dedicated to the Assumption. The façade, made of travertine just like the bell tower, is subdivided by arches on columns and surmounted by a tympanum with the Piccolomini coat of arms. The interior, with its three naves of the same height, is inspired by the observations that Pius II, during his travels, dedicated to the German models of the hall churches. The “Domus vitrea” contains a whole series of masterpieces commissioned expressly by the Pope to the best painters of the period such as Giovanni di Paolo, Matteo di Giovanni, Vecchietta and Sano di Pietro.

The Diocesan Museum of Pienza: This Museum, formerly the Cathedral Museum, is currently arranged in a very suggestive way inside the bishop’s palace and in its rooms you can appreciate Flemish tapestries from the 15th-16th century, furnishings, jewelery, sacred vestments, a Crucifix by Segna di Bonaventura, the paintings of the Sienese school of Lorenzetti, Bartolo di Fredi, Frà Bartolomeo della Porta and Vecchietta, the famous Piviale di Pius II, an exclusive English work carefully crafted in gold filigree with more than 150 embroidered figures .

Palazzo Piccolomini: This majestic masterpiece is also due to Rossellino, with its three floors and mullioned windows. The real surprise of this building is enclosed inside because as a precious casket discloses to the eyes of the visitor beautiful works of art, antique furniture, special relics and a valuable library. But what will amaze you most is probably the hanging garden, which surrounds the building, which overlooks a large porch from which you can enjoy a beautiful view of the Val d’Orcia.

Palazzo Civico: This building, built by Rossellino, which closes the east side of the square, is perfectly in harmony with all the architecture that surrounds it: the spacious loggia on the ground floor contributes, with the angle of the other buildings, to expand the central space that would otherwise be restricted.