Pienza e non solo

Pienza (SI)

Immagini che fanno parte di un servizio: Pienza e non solo. Vista dal di dentro con i suoi colori, armonie,messaggi, sensazioni, stati d'animo.

Corsignano era solo un piccolo borgo medioevale quando, nel 1459, papa Pio II, al secolo Enea Silvio Piccolomini, decise di trasformare il suo paese natale in una vera e propria "città ideale", che fosse l'espressione concreta degli ideali di organizzazione razionale ed armonica convivenza propri del tempo.
Il progetto di rinnovamento del nucleo urbano fu affidato al grande architetto Bernardo Rossellino. I lavori si conclusero dopo poco più di tre anni, con la solenne consacrazione della Cattedrale il 29 Agosto 1462, festa di San Giovanni Battista. Veniva così inaugurato un autentico gioiello dell'architettura rinascimentale, simbolo del pensiero di un'intera epoca. L'antica Corsignano era divenuta una nuova, moderna "città ideale", ribattezzata Pienza in onore del grande umanista suo fondatore.
Ancora oggi, monumenti quali la Cattedrale dell'Assunta e i Palazzi Comunale, Borgia e Piccolomini, tutti affacciati sulla centrale, splendida piazza Pio II, affascinano per l'essenzialità delle forme e l'armonia delle proporzioni, e testimoniano della bellezza e della forza degli ideali della loro epoca.

Pienza arose in the XV century on the place of the ancient castle of Corsignano. This settlement was recorded from 828 as organised "Court" property of the Abbey of San Salvatore al Monte Amiata and this was subsequently confirmed by Imperial certificates of the X and XI centuries. Between the end of the XII and the start of the XIII century the dominion of Siena was affirmed over the castle and the village which had developed around it, given the strategic importance of the position (and after the war of 1229-1235 when the castle was occupied by the Fiorentini and the Orvietani) in the middle of the century it was provided with a military garrison. In the meantime in the territory of Corsignano, by now become Podesta Seat (1330) and then Vicariate (1348), the possession of the Piccolomini family was extended and when in 1458, Enia Silvio Piccolomini, who was born there in 1405, became Pope with the name of Pio II, a phase of restoration of the ancient castle was begun; the work was trusted to Rossellino, and Corsignano changed its name to Pienza, and also received the name of Episcopal Seat (1462). Pienza preserves quite notable monuments from its Medieval and Renaissance past, among which the Cathedral, the parish church of San Vito, and the Palazzo Piccolomini. In the second half of the 1400s it was claimed to be a vivacious commercial and economic centre, but from the start of the 1500s it was forced to submit to a long series of military incursions and devastation, from that by Cesare Borgia in 1502 until the more grave last phase of the Siena war (1553.1555). In 1559 Pienza became part of the Mediceo Duchy. The ancient castle of Monticchiello is also found in its territory, nucleus of great importance for all the Medieval period, where in April 1944 on the of the most significant events of the resistance of South Toscana took place: a group of about 70 partisans defeated the Nazifascist occupying forces, availing themselves of the solid and courageous help of the population.