The city until 1462 was nothing but a small village called Corsignano. The birth in 1405 of Enea Silvio Piccolomini, who 53 years later became Pope Pius II he turned the tide. Just a Pope traveling to Mantova led him to cross the birthplace and degradation he found led him to decide to build a new ideal city. The construction lasted about four years and brought forth a harmonious town with typically forms fifteenth.

For the beauty of its Renaissance town Pienza in 1996 it became part of the Natural Heritage, artistic, cultural UNESCO.