July 21, 2019- Bagno Vignoni and Pienza

Today was a splendid day as we went on an excursion to Pienza. We departed Siena around 9:00 a.m. on a very comfortable coach bus. Claudio, our driver, suggested that we make a stop in a small village, Bagno Vignoni, on our way to Pienza. We gladly accepted his offer. Bagno Vignoni is situated in the Val d'Orcia in Tuscany, and is known for its hot springs. These thermal waters have volcanic origins and were found and used since Roman times. The centre of the village wraps around a rectangular "vasca", or tub in English, which contains the original source of water. Many famous people visited this spa ( Pope Pius II, St. Catherine of Siena, Lorenzo de Medici, among others). Our students spent some time strolling around this "vasca" and admiring its beauty. 

We were then off to Pienza, a short distance away. This city is very important because it represents the first known application of urban planning concepts, which was adopted by other Italian towns and spread to other European centres. Pope Pius II had the entire village rebuilt as an ideal Renaissance town. In 1996, UNESCO declared Pienza a World Heritage Site for this reason. Also the entire valley of the Val d'Orcia, was included on the list of UNESCO's World Cultural Landscapes. Pienza is also known for its famous Pecorino cheese- the best in Italy. Students had the opportunity to taste and purchase this cheese. They had lunch in Pienza and had time to do a bit of shopping. We returned to Siena late afternoon.