Pienza is one of those places that seem born for the cinema. Walking around the Cathedral, Piazza Pio II and the stone alleyways, with the unspoilt views of the Val d’Orcia, you almost feel like you’re making a camera movement, as if every scene had already been conceived for the big screen.
So, it’s no surprise that, over the years, this little Renaissance town, with its perfect balance of architecture and nature, has become one of the most sought-after settings for Italian and international film productions. Film directors, set designers and cinematographers have found Pienza to be a place capable of effortlessly transforming itself: medieval, Renaissance, modern… without ever losing its identity.
The choice of Pienza as a film location is no coincidence. It is the result of rare harmony, with a quiet yet recognisable beauty, giving the stories an immediately readable and elegant character. Here, the landscape is never a mere backdrop: it becomes an integral part of the narrative, emotional structure and atmosphere.
Some people now—even among the residents of Pienza—call it “the Gladiator’s Valley.”
Nothing irreverent or, worse, offensive: the Val d’Orcia has the strength of a protected designation of origin, which the people of Pienza themselves are the first to respect and safeguard..
Read more … “The Gladiator’s Valley: Pienza and the cinematic myth of the Val d’Orcia”Directors, set designers and cinematographers choose Pienza for its ability to give the stories an immediately recognisable character: elegant, harmonious and authentic.
Read more … “Movie tourism: Pienza – cinema and discovering the territory”
In 2024, Pienza embraced the allure of Hollywood. George Clooney came to the town to film Jay Kelly, a Netflix film directed by Noah Baumbach, co-starring Adam Sandler.
In recent years, Pienza has continued to be chosen as a setting for major film productions. In 2015, the Taviani brothers filmed some scenes from Wondrous Boccaccio, while in 2018, Lux Vide chose the town for the television series Medici, now in its third season.
1996 marked a decisive turning point: The English Patient by Anthony Minghella, winner of nine Oscars. One of the film’s key locations was the Monastery of Sant’Anna in Camprena, while a particularly evocative scene was filmed in Piazza Pio II.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Pienza once again attracted film directors in search of authentic locations. In 1966, Vittorio Gassman starred in Pleasant Nights and The Devil in Love. The latter was directed by Ettore Scola. The town proved capable of adapting to different cinematic genres, maintaining its visual identity intact.
Read more … “From the 1960s to the turning point in the 1990s: Pienza: authenticity and transformation”
One of the most important chapters in Pienza’s film history is undoubtedly Romeo and Juliet by Franco Zeffirelli. Filmed between Palazzo Piccolomini, Piazza Pio II and other corners of the historic centre, the film left a profound mark on the town’s collective memory.
The relationship between Pienza and the cinema is deeper than one might imagine. It all began in 1950, when Curzio Malaparte, a famous writer and intellectual, chose the Val d’Orcia (and Montepulciano) as the setting for The Forbidden Christ, his only film as a director.
