Pienza - The town conceived by Pope Pius II was built on top of the medieval castle of Corsignano, which marked the border between the possessions of Siena, Florence and Orvieto.

It has been designated as part of the "world-wide heritage of humanity by UNESCO".

In 1458 Enea Silvio Piccolomini decided to transform his childhood home into a symbol of the Italian Renaissance. In three years, from 1459 to 1462, the town reborn as Pienza witnessed the birth of several landmark works of architecture.

Its luminous cathedral, Cattedrale dell'Assunta, houses panel paintings by the most renowned Sienese artists of the period. Next door, the imposing family residence Palazzo Piccolomini is graced with a loggia offering a fabulous panorama over the amazing Orcia Valley.

The town hall and the Palazzo Vescovile (Bishop's quarters) with its museum display homogeneity of style.

Instead, the church dedicated to San Francis (13th century), the city walls and the austere Pieve di Corsignano, first documented in 714, all date back to the medieval ages