02/25, Saturday
On the road, again, with two destinations: Pienza and Montisi. Both are within an hour drive and near each other.
Beautiful ride to Pienza. It is the 550th anniversary of the Cathedral of Pienza. In 1458 Pope Pius II returned to his hometown and decided to transform the poor native village into a modern, ideal Renaissance city starting with demolishing the old Romanesque church and building the luminous cathedral and the exquisite city. And we got to experience it all including a palace tour and lunch overlooking the entire Val d' Orcia ! The palace was the summer residence of the Pope and quite opulent with a decorated courtyard, formal gardens and fascinating halls and rooms. The weapon room was a bit stern !
Then a very winding road took us up to Montisi where my cousin had rented a home for a year. Pretty buttoned up but enjoyed roaming the side streets and the wonderful views. I can see why he loved it here. This whole area is known as the Val d' Orcia and seems to have the perfect landscape with hills,ravines and cypress trees. Very serene like our area around Sanfatuccio.
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