Updated on January 10th 2025
Pienza
Pienza
Tuscany
Pienza owes its beauty and fame to Enea Silvio Piccolomini born in Corsignano on 18 October 1405 and elevated to Pope in 1458 taking the name Pius II. His family lived here, where they had some properties, after being exiled from Siena in 1385, for political reasons. During his Papacy, he changed the ancient Castello di Corsignano (first mentioned in 828) into a Papal residence in the Renaissance style, planned and constructed under the supervision Rossellino, a student of Leon Battista Alberti, the village being renamed Pienza ("Pius") to praise honour upon the well liked “humanist” Pope.
Peter Kilby, the founder of Perfect Traveller spent many years living down the road from Pienza and became part of the village. His knowledge of its history and traditions and the people that live in and around Pienza today was the inspiration for the audio tour he made that any visitor to Pienza should have on their phone to enjoy this wonderful village even more.
Peter Kilby is an artist, writer, story-teller, journalist and avid traveller who lived and worked in Italy from 1987 to 2018. He created Perfect Traveller to bring the world of Italian art and history closer to you and in a way that is entertaining and informative; together with great travel tips. Getting off the beaten track in Italy is always an adventure and he invites you to join him in discovering an Italy that will surprise and amaze you.
