Pienza
| Pienza | |
|---|---|
| Comune | |
| Comune di Pienza | |
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|
 Pienza
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| Coordinates: 43°04′43″N 11°40′44″E / 43.07861°N 11.67889°E | |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Tuscany |
| Province / Metropolitan city | Siena (SI) |
| Frazioni | Cosona, La Foce, Monticchiello, Palazzo Massaini, Spadaletto |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Marco Del Ciondolo (since June 13, 2004) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 122 km2 (47 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 491 m (1,611 ft) |
| Population (December 31, 2005) | |
| • Total | 2,231 |
| • Density | 18/km2 (47/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Pientini |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
| Postal code | 53026 |
| Dialing code | 0578 |
| Patron saint | St. Andrew the Apostle |
| Saint day | November 30 |
| Website | Official website |
| Historic Centre of the City of Pienza | |
|---|---|
| Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List | |
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| Location | Italy |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | i, ii, iv |
| Reference | 789 |
| UNESCO region | Europe and North America |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 1996 (20th Session) |
Pienza, a town and comune in the province of Siena, in the Val d'Orcia in Tuscany (central Italy), between the towns of Montepulciano and Montalcino, is the "touchstone of Renaissance urbanism."
In 1996, UNESCO declared the town a World Heritage Site, and in 2004 the entire valley, the Val d'Orcia, was included on the list of UNESCO's World Cultural Landscapes.
Before the village was renamed to Pienza its name was Corsignano. It is first mentioned in documents from the 9th century. Around 1300 parts of the village became property of the Piccolomini family. after Enghelberto d'Ugo Piccolomini had been enfeoffed with the fief of Montertari in Val d'Orcia by the emperor Frederick II in 1220. In the 13th century Franciscans settled down in Corsignano.
1405 Corsignano was the birthplace of Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini (Italian: Enea Silvio Piccolomini), a Renaissance humanist born into an exiled Sienese family, who later became Pope Pius II. Once he became Pope, Piccolomini had the entire village rebuilt as an ideal Renaissance town and renamed it after himself to Pienza. Intended as a retreat from Rome, it represents the first application of humanist urban planning concepts, creating an impetus for planning that was adopted in other Italian towns and cities and eventually spread to other European centers.
The rebuilding was done by Florentine architect Bernardo Gambarelli (known as Bernardo Rossellino) who may have worked with the humanist and architect Leon Battista Alberti, though there are no documents to prove it for sure. Alberti was in the employ of the Papal Curia at the time and served as an advisor to Pius. Construction started about 1459. Pope Pius II consecrated the Duomo on August 29, 1462, during his long summer visit. He included a detailed description of the structures in his Commentaries, written during the last two years of his life.
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Wikipedia