A Stop in Pienza, Italy

The last place we visited in Tuscany was the town of Pienza. The name Pienza comes from Pope Pius II, who was born there, and it means the city of Pius. 

The cathedral was built on the remains of the Romanesque church of St. Mary (still visible in the crypt). The façade is typical of the Renaissance & is divided into three parts by arched columns. On the left wing there is an octagonal, cuspidate bell tower that is reminiscent of the ones Pope Pius II saw in Germany. Works of art in the cathedral include five altar paintings from the Sienese School. There is also a baptistery next to the apse of the church. 

---

---

Olive oil is a main component of Mediterranean and Italian cooking, and especially Tuscan cooking, because the flavor it imparts to foods is absolutely delightful. It is also one of the reasons Mediterranean cooking is considered to be so heart healthy.

In Tuscany, especially, olive oil is traditionally used because of the lack of dairy cows and therefore the lack of butter. Even though the Tuscan Maremma region is famous for its butteri cowboys and organic, free range chianini cattle, the cows produce very thin milk which doesn’t make very good butter, although the cattle produce some of the best steaks in the world!

---

---

The Tuscan countryside was beautiful. We enjoyed our time there & hope to go back again.