Panorama of the Week: Pienza, Tuscany — A UNESCO Site Worth Getting Married In
Filed Under: Ah, Italia!
We begin a week of reflection and a reaffirmation of our love affair with Italy. Why now? Because we are revisiting the scene of the crime: our wedding, ten years ago, in the UNESCO World Heritage Tuscan hilltown of Pienza.
As we picked up our uphill pace and turned the corner to enter Pienza’s main piazza, the scene was that of the Tuscan hill town we remembered. Heads up, Renaissance stone, echoes of Pope Pius II’s vision of a perfect town, delis stacked with wheels of pecorino (the local sheep cheese), hunks of wild boar salami, and piles of dried porcini mushroom slices.
But we felt like we owned a little piece of the place. Ten years ago, we ran across the plaza under a shared umbrella while locals chanted “Sposa bagnata! Sposa fortunata!” (a wet bride is a lucky bride). The entire event — from start to finish with all of its twists and turns, shared with friends and family — was wickedly magical and perfect in its own imperfect way.
Open up the panorama below and tilt up for a tour of the Pienza main plaza to see the scene (today) for yourself.
Panorama: Palazzo Comunale and the Main Square in Pienza, Tuscany
For best panorama viewing results, press fullscreen (four arrows) and navigate around with your mouse.
More Photos from Italy
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Article Series - Tuscany 10th Anniversary Trip
- Panorama of the Week: Pienza, Tuscany — A UNESCO Site Worth Getting Married In
- Eat Your Heart Out, Tuscany!
- Life Lessons from A Tuscan Wedding
- Panorama of the Week: The Makings of a Great Brunello di Montalcino
- From Hilltowns to Harvest: Tuscany in Autumn
- Accommodation Italy: Participating vs. Spectating
- Maremma: Hidden Tuscany (an Audio Slideshow)
October 3rd, 2010 at 11:15 am
Not that I want to complicate your life, but do you ever think about grabbing ambient sound too? I love seeing them, but sound would add a whole new level of experiencing these places without being there.
October 3rd, 2010 at 12:14 pm
Audrey and Daniel, congratulations on your ten year anniversary! Here’s a toast to you having many more years of magic and fun together!
October 3rd, 2010 at 7:28 pm
This is so amazing, great panorama shot you put together. I can’t wait to go to Italy…
October 3rd, 2010 at 8:39 pm
10 years later you are back and happy. I guess the water worked!
October 3rd, 2010 at 9:14 pm
Can I just say that these panoramas always make my day!!! Love it!
October 4th, 2010 at 3:25 pm
Awww. Congrats guys!! You totally inspire me each day.
October 5th, 2010 at 12:23 pm
Oh! You were MARRIED In Pienza! How utterly fabulous–and so glad you could return for your anniversary. Last fall, Tim and I stayed in a hilltop villa with a view of Pienza and more, and we could hear her bells ringing. Ghostly, lovely, fab. We cannot wait to return!
October 6th, 2010 at 5:43 am
Hahaha.. thanks for the tour. I like it, it is interesting being able to tour around with my mouse.
October 7th, 2010 at 7:24 am
@Pam: Good suggestion re: more audio clips. We usually think first about the photos and videos first, but you’re right that having more sound to incorporate into these panoramas or into audio slideshows would make things come more “alive.”
@Kathy: Thanks for the congratulations! We had a darn good time
@Sarah: Glad you enjoyed this and have fun in Italy next week!
@Kyle: Rain on your wedding day is A-OK with us if it means many more happy anniversaries like this one.
@Andi: Glad to hear that these panoramas make your day!
@Lola: And the feeling is mutual – your approach to your work, life and family is also inspirational.
@Lisa: The area around Pienza is gorgeous – glad to hear you had such a great experence as well. For the wedding, our family and friends stayed at an agriturismo in the valley nearby – at night we could see the hilltowns all lit up. Really magical.
@Sunduvan: Glad you enjoy the technology behind this so you can move around the image.
October 9th, 2010 at 6:33 am
Very nice and definitely very romantic! Congratulations on your anniversary!
October 11th, 2010 at 12:55 pm
@Anca: Thanks for your comment and congratulations!
November 29th, 2010 at 9:32 am
[...] we were married in Pienza in 2000, we spent about a week with our family and friends in Tuscany exploring nearby hilltowns, [...]
August 31st, 2012 at 7:03 am
I once went to a local wedding in Tuscany, it was really beautiful. What a great wedding location it is.
September 5th, 2012 at 4:48 am
@Roger: Tuscany, definitely great for a wedding. Which town or in what area of Tuscany was the wedding you attended?