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Pienza is a village by size and site: but a city by art and design. And by papal decree of Pope Pius II, Aeneas Sylvius Piccolomini -- a remarkable renaissance man, diplomat, traveller, spy, humanist writer, secretary to an anti-pope, emperor and popes, then priest, bishop, cardinal and pope himself from 1458 to 1464. And the only pope to ever write his own memoirs, or 'Commentaries' on his own life (a fascinating read!). Born in the small town of Corsignano, when much later he returned as pope he determined to rebuild the town as Pienza, in the astonishingly short period of only four years, in the height of the new vigorous, eclectic renaissance style. So it remains.
Geographically, Pienza is in southern Tuscany, in the Terre di Siena, roughly half way between Florence and Rome. Artistically and historically, Pienza is unique, timeless. The tiny city lives still in, among, and from the grand, beautiful, proud, marvellous works created by Pope Piccolomini with his architect Bernardo 'il Rossellino' and their mostly anonymous collaborators. Pienza is also a living, vibrant community. The active, passionate care of its citizens for their town and for Pope Piccolomini's legacies constitute Pienza's unseen foundations. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My reflections and short essays on Pienza are flagged on this page sidebar, and in the navigation menu bar. As context, see Renaissance Eyes: 'material and spiritual' . |
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