PIENZA EXCURSION

Deemed the “ideal city” or “utopian city,” Pienza represents a well-planned Renaissance town, complete with a model of ideal living and governance. The town center was completely redesigned by Pope Pius II, in an effort to transform his birthplace into a model Renaissance town. The architect Bernardo Rossellino was commissioned to build a Duomo, Papal Palace and Town Hall.

The classic proportions of the Duomo, built in 1459, have remained intact. It is flooded with light from the vast stained glass windows requested by Pius II. He sought to create a “domus vitrea” (“house of glass”), symbolizing the spirit of intellectual enlightenment. The Papal Palace is next door to the Duomo and was home to Pius II’s descendants until 1968.

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