DestinationsPienza
Pienza.
Where it sits
the Val d'OrciaPienza is the prettiest small town in any part of Tuscany we cover, and it was designed to be. In the 1460s Pope Pius II rebuilt his home village as a Renaissance 'ideal city', and the result — a perfect little piazza, a cathedral, and a panoramic terrace over the Val d'Orcia — was finished in a few years and barely touched since.
It is also the home of pecorino di Pienza, the sheep's-milk cheese sold from a dozen shops along Corso Rossellino. Come for a morning walk, the views from the town walls and a cheese to take back to the villa; it fills at midday, so come early or late.
Don’t miss
- Pope Pius II's Renaissance 'ideal city'
- Pecorino di Pienza along Corso Rossellino
- The panoramic terrace over the Val d'Orcia
- The cypress views of the valley all around
The Ideal City
The whole centre is a single Renaissance idea, built fast and left alone: the Piazza Pio II with its cathedral and the Palazzo Piccolomini, and the terrace behind that opens onto the Val d'Orcia. It takes half a morning to see and is the most concentrated piece of Renaissance town-planning in Tuscany.
Pecorino, and the Views Around
Corso Rossellino is lined with shops selling pecorino di Pienza in every age, from fresh to aged in walnut leaves or ash — take some back to the villa. The country immediately around Pienza holds the most photographed views in Tuscany: the Cappella di Vitaleta and the cypress rows toward San Quirico are minutes away.
Villas near here
Frequently asked
- What is Pienza famous for?
- Being a Renaissance 'ideal city' built for Pope Pius II, and for pecorino di Pienza, its sheep's-milk cheese.
- Is Pienza worth visiting?
- Yes — it is the prettiest small town in the Val d'Orcia, best for a morning walk, the views and the cheese shops.
- When should I visit Pienza?
- Early morning or late afternoon; the town and its one piazza fill at midday.
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