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Visiting Pienza
Pienza is a tiny village in southern Tuscany we highly recommend you visit. The village is located about 20 kilometers east of Montalcino in the beautiful setting of the Valdorcia region to the south of Siena, amidst gentle undulating hills and wonderful natural landscapes. Pienza enjoys a strategic position standing high atop a hill, dominating all the Orcia Valley with extraordinary views.
This charming village is widely known as the "ideal" city of the Renaissance, the creation of the great humanist Enea Silvio Piccolomini that later became Pope Pius II. Piccolomini had the money and influence to transform his birthplace village, the humble Corsignano, into what he considered a Utopian city should be, exemplifying the principles and philosophy of classical times and of the great Italian Renaissance. Thus, Pienza became the realization of a dream!
The project was designed by the architect Bernardo "il Rossellino" under the guidance of the great humanist Leon Battista Alberti. In only 3 years, a group of amazing and harmonious buildings were realized: the Cathedral, the Papal or Piccolomini Palace, the Town Hall, and the lovely central square.
Piazza Pio II has a perfect harmonious shape which gives great dignity and solemnity to all of the surrounding buildings built in bright travertine stone. On one side of the square, you can admire a beautiful well, known as the "well of the dogs".
The Duomo or Cattedrale dell'Assunta hosts very fine paintings by the most renowned artists of the period, while the octagonal bell tower standing over the ancient crypt with the same octagonal shape points to the sky.
The imposing Palazzo Piccolomini to the right of the Duomo has a fantastic Loggia with a delightful hanging garden from which you can enjoy unique and breathtaking panoramas of the Val d'Orcia Valley, from Montalcino to the Mount Amiata. Palazzo Piccolomini was even used by Franco Zeffirelli for filming some scenes of his famous and romantic movie Romeo and Juliet, the location of the first encounter between the two lovers at the Capulets' home.
The impression one gets, walking through the narrow streets of Pienza, is that of an extremely perfect and proportioned ensemble; somewhat as if you were admiring a Renaissance city depicted in a wonderful painting.
But Pienza is also the city of cacio: cheese! The Pecorino of Pienza is a tasty cheese made from sheep's milk, renowned worldwide and delicious.
The town streets are full of small charming shops selling a large quantity of various types of pecorino, from fresh to aged pecorico, that you can taste together with a number of other typical local products, such as fine wines, spices, pici (pasta) and so on.
After some shopping, we suggest you try one of the fantastic restaurants or typical osterie serving really exquisite local food. One we've tried many times and highly recommend is the Osteria Baccus; here you can taste savory dishes where the pecorino is prepared in countless and original ways. Definitely try the Fondue of Mixed Sheep Cheeses, the Bruschetta della "sciorna", and the Pici with Cacio and Pepe.
Finally, if you happen to come to Pienza in September, don't miss the famous Fiera del Cacio, a great festival dedicated to pecorino cheese and other traditional products, that you can taste freely! During the festival you can also enjoy a folkloristic and amusing game of ancient origins. It's the Palio del Cacio Fuso, where the players of each town district have to pull and roll an entire round of pecorino cheese around the fuso, a wooden spindle located at the centre of the main square.
Sweet tastes and unforgettable perfumes will enchant you. A real paradise for all food lovers!
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