The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, commissioned from Rossellino by Pope Pius II, was consecrated on 29 August 1462.
The imposing travertine façade, which almost appears to be striding onto the square from the sweeping panorama of the Val d’Orcia, is in the classical architectural style of Leon Battista Alberti, its simple barnlike structure topped by a pediment with the Piccolomini papal arms set in a wreath and divided into three parts by large pilasters reflecting the church’s interior arrangement.
The nave and two side aisles in the Latin cross interior are all the same height, in the style of the Hallenkirchen that Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini had had the opportunity to admire on his travels in northern Europe. Pius II’s ideal plan, therefore, was to harmonise the Gothic tradition with the style of classical antiquity.
The aisles are separated by two rows of piers with half-columns, topped by capitals and raised stretches of trabeation supporting the ribbed vaulting. The tall aisles of the same height and the single-light windows allow such intense light to penetrate into the building that the Pope called it his “house of glass” or domus vitrea:
“when the sun beats on it”, it does so in such a way that “those inside the church feel as though they are enclosed by walls not of stone but of glass” (E.S. Piccolomini, Commentari IX,24).
The altars in the chancel area host splendid altarpieces commissioned by the Pope from the most fashionable Sienese artists of the mid-15th century, Sano di Pietro, Vecchietta, Matteo di Giovanni and Giovanni di Paolo who, while remaining loyal to the Sienese gold ground tradition, were able in this context to get to grips with the innovations of the Florentine Renaissance.
All the altarpieces share an architectural structure inspired by classical buildings and the iconography of the Virgin and Child. The Assumption of the Virgin is depicted in only one instance, in reference to the Cathedral’s dedication. In each case, the paintings highlight Pius II’s special devotion to the Blessed Virgin while also portraying saints associated with the region, with his family’s traditional names or with his own personal history.
A small door at the base of the bell tower on the north side of the Cathedral leads into the church of San Giovanni, also known as the “crypt”. The crypt houses the baptismal font designed by Rossellino, and a collection of dazzlingly illuminated pages from the graduals that Pius II donated to Pienza Cathedral.
The crypt also houses the remains of sculptural decoration from the medieval parish church of Santa Maria and a set of three Flemish tapestries with Stories from the Life of the Prophet Daniel and an episode from Roman history depicting Sophonisba and Masinissa. These were donated to the Cathedral by Bishop Francesco Maria Piccolomini at Christmastide in 1593. From the crypt, one can enter the so-called “Cathedral labyrinth”, a system of drainage tunnels dug beneath the chancel in the early 20th century to counter the landslip problems that have plagued the Cathedral since it was first built in the 15th century.
Places of faith but also places that tell the story of a neighbourhood, a village, a region. A journey of discovery exploring the rich architectural and artistic heritage that testifies to the devotion and the religious spirit of an entire people. An itinerary of the spirit and of faith, to rediscover one’s inner self in the silence that reigns over the sites of this unique region.
The church, which opens onto Corso Rossellino, is the sole surviving relic of medieval Corsignano. It was built by the Friars Minor in the 13th century, only a few years after St. Francis’s death in 1226. The façade, which reflects the austerity typical of the mendicant orders, has a single portal surmounted by a small round window or “oculus”. The interior consists of a single nave with a wooden trussed beam roof, while the walls still have fragments of the frescoes that were the religious orders’ way of offering the faithful depictions of stories from the Bible in order to educate them in their religion. The square chancel, lit by a large lancet window at the east end, is frescoed throughout with a cycle depicting twelve episodes from the Life of St. Francis, painted by two mid-14th century Sienese artists named Cristoforo di Bindoccio and Meo di Pero.
The church of Santa Caterina, which was built in the 17th century, lies outside the city centre at the end of a panoramic avenue named after it. A walk down the avenue offers travellers the opportunity to admire the superb landscape of the Val d’Orcia which, as a plaque situated along the avenue reminds us, is a recognised UNESCO World Heritage site.
The church’s simple brick façade belies the interior’s richly decorated single nave with its superb stuccowork. The Baroque high altar hosts a 17th century canvas enclosing a fragment of a 14th century fresco of the Sienese school depicting the Madonna and Child, an object of intense devotion from time immemorial.
Corsignano’s ancient parish church, dedicated to St. Vitus and St. Modestus, stands in isolation in the countryside just outside Pienza. The church has a façade with a pitched roof, blind arcading and an 11th century portal. The monumental cylindrical bell tower standing to the north of the church façade can be dated to some time between the 10th and 11th centuries. The interior, comprising a nave and two side aisles, contains the old baptismal font in which tradition tells us Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini was christened. Corsignano parish church, which was one of the more important stations on the Via Francigena, is the perfect place from which to enjoy a magnificent view of the Val d’Orcia, a true paradise of peace and quiet.