Aaahh…Pienza: Ultimate Tuscan Beauty

Aaahh…Pienza: Ultimate Tuscan Beauty

How my family and I did not visit the village of Pienza last year when we were in southern Tuscany we don’t know – but this completely charming Italian hillside town epitomizes Tuscan beauty and was just what we needed after a busy city stay in Rome.

We had returned, once again, to the Cortona area in Tuscany for a one week stay. One of our local Italian friends told us to go, saying that it is her favorite town in the region – and after a visit we could see why! Built into the hillside as a long ago fortress, this renaissance town has panoramic views of the valley and countryside below. A walking path takes you around the outer part of the village, so no matter where you are, you can walk out of the town center for a view.

Walk on the path that circles around Pienza Tuscany.

Girls with a view in Pienza Tuscany.

beautiful Pienza countryside.

Small cobblestone streets weave in and around, with a main street full of boutique and design shops, wine stores, restaurants and gelaterias. We ate lunch at the exquisite La Terrazza e La Corte del Chiosto, a hotel and restaurant overlooking the rolling hills and farm land below. We thought it might be too upscale to take the kids, but after seeing other children there and a courtyard for them to run around, we sat down and promptly ordered a bottle of wine. With a view like this, wine was in order. The food was excellent, one of the best meals of the trip, but it took a long time to come. Clearly they were understaffed…yet the setting was so beautiful and relaxing it was hard to complain. Better yet, upon leaving, they gave us a free bottle of wine and apologized about the wait. My kind of place.

Walking down an alleyway in Pienza Tuscany.

Large sculpture in the town square in Pienza Tuscany.

Another large sculpture in town in Pienza, Tuscany.

We walked around after lunch, noting that every turn we took was a postcard picture (it really is one of those sort of towns), and did our due diligence by going to the town’s Duomo. It was fine enough, but we particularly liked the square it was situated in. With huge sculptures of human faces, it was quite dramatic of a space. We mainly walked around and dipped into shops, and spent some time at the most amazing gourmet food and wine store called Marusco e Maria.

To keep the kids busy we made sure to buy them some gelato and souvenirs, as well as take them down all the “secret passageways” we could find, of which there were many. It was one of our more relaxing days, just strolling around the town and taking in the views. If you are in Southern Tuscany, Pienza is a must visit!

Happened upon a picturesque outdoor staircase in Pienza Tuscany.

Walking around in Pienza Tuscany.

Storefront in Pienza Tuscany

PIN IT

Exploring the beautiful town of Pienza in Tuscany. The perfect day trip.

 

TingNewBlue-1

Follow:

31 Comments

  1. August 21, 2015 / 3:30 pm

    I want to go to Pienza after reading your blog and looking at the fantastic photos !

    • August 21, 2015 / 4:49 pm

      You need to go – you guys would absolutely love it!

  2. August 21, 2015 / 3:32 pm

    Love the street photos… any place that gives you a bottle of wine you certainly can’t complain about!

  3. August 21, 2015 / 4:37 pm

    We have cycled here and agreed just absolutely fabulous!

    • August 21, 2015 / 4:51 pm

      Cycling around the Pienza area sounds incredible – jealous!

  4. August 21, 2015 / 5:48 pm

    Wow, been to Tuscany a number of times but never here. Looks just perfect and those sculptures are incredible.

    • August 21, 2015 / 10:00 pm

      I know – aren’t the sculptures amazing. One of my favorite parts of the town.

  5. darshanakoirala
    August 21, 2015 / 6:16 pm

    Absolutely beautiful!

    -glimpsesofadventures.wordpress.com

  6. August 21, 2015 / 8:48 pm

    Looks like a wonderful place. I would love getting lost in those narrow streets. I’ve only visited Tuscany once, and thats a very long time ago, but seeing your pictures really makes me want to go back:)

    • August 21, 2015 / 10:02 pm

      I could go to Tuscany again and again, and unfortunately that’s prob the last time we’ll be there for a while. But we did get two years in a row not to sound like a brat..

  7. August 21, 2015 / 10:57 pm

    Corey, it sounds just wonderful. A peaceful day is always a treat!

    • August 22, 2015 / 2:54 pm

      You would have loved it Jean.

  8. August 22, 2015 / 1:41 am

    Looks divine.

    • August 22, 2015 / 2:58 pm

      Thanks – it really was.

    • August 23, 2015 / 4:27 pm

      Thanks – could live there!

  9. August 23, 2015 / 2:24 pm

    So lovely, your pictures are absolutely stunning!

    • August 23, 2015 / 4:29 pm

      Thanks – the scenery automatically lends itself to nice photos, no matter who is taking them!

  10. August 24, 2015 / 8:57 pm

    Oh my, Pienza looks like just the place where I could live! I love Italy – and this is a place I am adding to my list of places to visit!

    • August 26, 2015 / 2:16 am

      It’s quite stunning! I know I could live there too..think we all could..

  11. August 29, 2015 / 3:54 am

    Your pictures are stunning! Looks like we should have tried to squeeze Tuscany in our packed Euro-trip. 🙂

  12. September 2, 2015 / 3:04 am

    Thank you twobrownfeet! Impossible to do everything..

    • September 4, 2015 / 2:20 am

      Thanks Marcella! It really was.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.