Diocesan Museum: Art and History in Pienza's Palazzo Borgia

The Diocesan Museum of Pienza, also known as Palazzo Borgia, is located in the historic center of Pienza, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Situated within the Palazzo Vescovile, or Bishop's Palace, the museum is part of the architectural complex that includes the Piazza and the Cathedral. This complex represents the center of the town's renovation project commissioned by Pope Pius II Piccolomini, a humanist who sought to transform his birthplace into an ideal Renaissance city. The museum's collection originated from the Cathedral Museum and has grown to include works from churches in the surrounding areas. The eleven rooms of the museum display art from Pienza and nearby towns, with a focus on 14th-century Sienese paintings. Masterpieces include the Madonna of Monticchiello by Pietro Lorenzetti and the Madonna della Misericordia by Bartolo di Fredi. The Sienese School of the 1400s is represented by works such as Vecchietta's Madonna on a Throne. The museum also features 16th-century works by Luca Signorelli and Renaissance sculptures by Domenico di Niccolò dei Cori. One of the museum's highlights is the Cope of Pius II, an English-made ecclesiastical vestment donated to the Pope by Tommaso Paleologo. The cope is decorated with twenty-seven scenes from the life of the Virgin. The museum also has a collection of goldwork from the 13th to the 19th century, including liturgical furnishings donated to the Cathedral by Pius II. The building itself incorporates structures from two different Renaissance palaces once belonging to Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia and Cardinal Jean Jouffroy of Arras.