World Heritage Identification Number: 789
World Heritage since: 1996
Category: Cultural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇮🇹 Italy
Continent: Europe
UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America
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The Renaissance Town Planning Masterpiece: Historic Centre of the City of Pienza
The Historic Centre of the City of Pienza, nestled within the picturesque Val d'Orcia region of Tuscany, Italy, stands as a testament to the successful implementation of Renaissance town-planning concepts. In 1459, Pope Pius II made the decision to transform his birthplace into a model Renaissance town, enlisting the help of architect Bernardo Rossellino. Rossellino's designs were heavily influenced by his mentor, Leon Battista Alberti, whose theories would shape the future of urban planning.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
It was in this Tuscan town that Renaissance town-planning concepts were first put into practice after Pope Pius II decided, in 1459, to transform the look of his birthplace. He chose the architect Bernardo Rossellino, who applied the principles of his mentor, Leon Battista Alberti. This new vision of urban space was realized in the superb square known as Piazza Pio II and the buildings around it: the Piccolomini Palace, the Borgia Palace and the cathedral with its pure Renaissance exterior and an interior in the late Gothic style of south German churches.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
The Committee decided to inscribe the nominated property on the basis of cultural criteria (i), (ii) and (iv) considering that the site is of outstanding universal value as it represents the first application of the Renaissance Humanist concept of urban design, and as such occupies a seminal position in the development of the concept of the planned "ideal town" which was to play a significant role in subsequent urban development in Italy and beyond. The application of this principle in Pienza, and in particular in the group of buildings around the central square, resulted in a masterpiece of human creative genius.
Encyclopedia Record: Pienza
Pienza is a town and comune in the province of Siena, Tuscany, in the historical region of Val d'Orcia. Situated between the towns of Montepulciano and Montalcino, it is considered the "touchstone of Renaissance urbanism".Additional Site Details
Area: 4.41 hectares
(ii) — Significant interchange of human values
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape
Coordinates: 43.07694444 , 11.67861111
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