Small, harmonious and exquisite, Pienza is a pope's dream turned to stone. Here Pio II had his birthplace of Corsignano rebuilt as the first 'ideal city' of the Renaissance, laid out according to the principles of humanist urban planning. Today its historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A few steps are enough to cross it, yet every corner is a lesson in beauty: the luminous Piazza Pio II with its Duomo, the Palazzo Piccolomini with its hanging gardens overlooking the Val d'Orcia, and the alleyways with names that draw a smile — Via dell'Amore and Via del Bacio.
Pienza is also the undisputed capital of pecorino: the shops along the centre offer tastings of fresh and aged wheels, paired with a glass of wine and the panorama of the Sienese crete rolling into the distance.
Just a few minutes from Montepulciano, Pienza and the most beautiful villages of the Val di Chiana. Book your stay and set out to explore.
