Monuments

The Cathedral of Pienza, commissioned by Pius II and built between 1459 and 1462, is one of the monuments that best represents the Italian Renaissance.

Next to the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, stands the majestic Palazzo Piccolomini, the private residence of Pope Pius II.

The Episcopal Palace of Pienza is a key architectural element in the Renaissance urban complex conceived by Pope Pius II; it stands to the left of the Cathedral and was intended for Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, the future Pope Alexander VI.

Piazza Pio II, trapezoidal in shape and featuring paving divided into large rectangles with white travertine borders, is surrounded by architecture that represents the powers of the new Renaissance town: the religious one being the cathedral, the political one Palazzo Comunale (town hall) and the private one Palazzo Piccolomini, residence of the pontiff and then of his nephews, to whom it was donated with the papal bull preserved in its library.

Visitors entering Piazza Pio II cannot help but be intrigued by the beautiful Palazzo Comunale (Town Hall), built based on a design by Rossellino and commissioned by the humanist Pope, Pius II.

The first historical record of Monticchiello dates back to 973, when it appears in the list of castles and courts given up by Lamberto Aldobrandeschi, son of Marquis Ildebrando, to the priest Ropprando.

In the heart of the Val d’Orcia, about a kilometre from Pienza, stands the ancient Parish Church of Corsignano, one of the few architectural elements of the ancient village still remaining, which was later transformed by Pius II’s project.

The structure of the monument itself is very simple, as it is made of masonry and bricks. It was inaugurated in 1975 on the thirtieth anniversary of Italy’s Liberation from war and from the Nazi-Fascist siege.

The War Memorial in Pienza is located in Piazza Dante Alighieri, in the public gardens of the square, and is dedicated to the memory of those who died in the wars during the twentieth century. It was built in the early twentieth century and is one of the town’s main commemorative monuments.

After passing Palazzo Piccolomini, along Corso Rossellino towards Porta al Prato, on the left-hand side of the road, you will come across the Church of San Francesco with the adjacent 16th-century cloister, now used as a hotel.

Near the main monument, on a building that looks out onto Piazza della Vittoria, there are two commemorative marble plaques, dedicated to those who died during the Second World War and the events linked to the Resistance Movement.

Not far from the historic centre of Pienza, visitors can admire a captivating place carved into the sandstone escarpment beneath the Church of Santa Caterina, near the Parish Church of Corsignano: this is the Hermitage of Pienza, a place where hermits or small monastic communities retreated for prayer and isolation.

The Church of Santa Caterina in Pienza is a historical religious building located just outside the town, in the captivating Val d’Orcia landscape.

The Church of San Carlo Borromeo in Pienza is an interesting sacred building of historical origin, located in the heart of the village and an integral part of the ancient Conservatory of San Carlo Borromeo.

The Church of Misericordia, located along the Via delle Mura, is easy to get to on foot from the historic centre and from Pienza’s main squares.