Holiday apartment in Pienza: Renaissance, Pecorino and Val d’Orcia

Pienza combines an exceptional Renaissance heritage with the landscapes of the Val d’Orcia and a long-standing Pecorino culture. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Pienza, discover a place whose historic centre, museums, trails and culinary destinations make many different kinds of holiday possible.

Renaissance in the historic centre

Pienza is considered an ideal Renaissance town. In the 15th century, Piccolomini guided the town’s urban planning decisions; to this day, the historic centre preserves its original Renaissance layout. Small squares, deliberately designed sightlines and grand palaces are all connected to the surrounding landscape. In 1996, the historic centre of Pienza was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Palazzo Piccolomini and views over the Val d’Orcia

The small, terraced Renaissance garden of Palazzo Piccolomini offers a special combination of architecture and landscape. Pope Pius II Piccolomini commissioned it from Bernardo Rossellino; the garden overlooks the entire Val d’Orcia. Immediately outside the town centre, trails pass through broad, gently rolling valleys with cultivated fields, hills and white gravel roads. This allows you to combine cultural impressions and peaceful landscapes when planning your trip.

Art and history in Pienza’s museums

The Diocesan Museum in Palazzo Borgia houses an extensive collection of sacred art, including paintings, altarpieces, wooden sculptures, tapestries and goldsmiths’ work. The first floor of Palazzo Piccolomini also contains a museum of historic furnishings, documenting the close connection between Pienza’s history and the Piccolomini family. The Duomo di Pienza, the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, was designed by Bernardo Rossellino and consecrated in 1462. The Etruscan collection at the Museo Archeologico di Pienza comprises more than 500 pieces, most of them dating from the Archaic period, from the necropolis of Borghetto di Pienza.

Pecorino, Fiera del Cacio and regional specialities

The Fiera del Cacio reached its 63rd edition in 2025. It is organised by the Pro Loco and the Contrade and normally takes place over about a week. One of its events is the Gioco del cacio al fuso, a game of skill in which a wheel of Pecorino is brought as close as possible to a fixed target placed in the centre of the square. The Fiera del Cacio also includes demonstrations of Pecorino cheese-making. At the Taverna del Pecorino in Pienza, visitors can enjoy tastings and purchase Pecorino cheese, salami, extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

A holiday apartment in Pienza for different kinds of holiday

Those focusing on the Renaissance centre, museums and architecture will find numerous cultural points of interest in Pienza. For active days, the Via Barlettaia route offers clear guidance: it is suitable for moderately fit cyclists and leads through vineyards along lightly trafficked gravel roads. Whether you choose a holiday apartment or holiday house, your choice can reflect the experiences you want to shape your trip: art and history, landscapes and cycling, or Pecorino and regional specialities.

If you would like to explore more places for your trip planning, your next discoveries will take you to Castelluccio, Monticchiello and Corsignano.

More destinations

More places within the same destination:

San Casciano Dei Bagni, Rapolano Terme, Torrita Di Siena, Isola D'arbia.

Back to the higher-level destination overview: Siena.