Episode 133 - Pienza: The Ideal Renaissance Town

Rebuilding The Renaissance

English - August 04, 2021 10:00 - 22 minutes - 20.7 MB - ★★★★★ - 202 ratings
Arts History architecture florence milan renaissance rome art history italy painting sculpture Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed

Previous Episode: Episode 132 - Florence: Strozzi Palace

Next Episode: Episode 134 - Piero della Francesca's "Madonna of the Egg" (Brera Gallery, Milan)

In 1459, Pope Pius II transformed the provincial town of his birth, Corsignano, into an ideal Renaissance urban town and renamed it after himself - Pienza. His architect, Bernardo Rossellino, was a follower of Leon Battista Alberti, and applied both medieval and classical architectural principles to his design. This episode explores the history and architecture of this exquisite and charming example of Renaissance urbanism.