Pienza is a tiny Renaissance jewel in the Val d'Orcia, the rolling Tuscan landscape of cypress-lined roads and golden fields that appears on half the postcards sold in Italy. Pope Pius II was born here in 1405, and when he rose to power he commissioned a complete redesign of his hometown as an "ideal city." The result — a perfect piazza flanked by a cathedral, a papal palace, and a town hall — was built in just three years and has barely changed since.
The Palazzo Piccolomini, with its loggia overlooking the Val d'Orcia, is the highlight. The view from the back terrace is one of the finest in Tuscany. The town is also famous for its pecorino cheese — the shops along Corso Rossellino offer tastings of every variety, from fresh to aged with truffles.
Pienza is small enough to walk in twenty minutes, but you will want to linger. It combines well with a visit to Montepulciano, about 15 kilometres east, for a day exploring the southern Tuscan hill towns.