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Pienza is the heart of Tuscany, both geographically as well as symbolically, as it sits in the midst of
some of the most photographed landscapes in Italy.
The Val D’Orcia is the quintessential Tuscany of post cards and calendars, and has been rigorously protected from modern development. The breathtaking, unblemished landscape and rich history earned it a designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004 and served as the film sets for The English Patient, Gladiator, and Under the Tuscan Sun.
The village is the perfect base for exploring the Brunello and Vino Nobile wine regions as well as the charming hilltowns of southern Tuscany: Montepulciano, Montalcino, Cortona, Siena, and others in sourthern Tuscany.
But the truth is we choose Pienza because we live here, and we love it. Not only is it a charming hill town, it’s also a village that has maintained a base of full time residents. Here you’ll find artisanal cheese producers, handmade and locally designed leatherwear, and restaurants serving pici freshly rolled each morning.
Although many consider this area to be the prettiest in Tuscany, there are no “top ten” sites, nothing to tick off your list, unless your list includes lingering in the glow of a warm trattoria, a private Brunello wine tasting at a family owned vineyard, or having a gem of a renaissance piazza all to yourself on a moonlit night.