Palazzo Ammannati e quartiere delle Case Nuove

Palazzo Ammannati and the Case Nuove in Pienza represent two aspects of the town's rebuilding under Pope Pius II: a Renaissance residence for a cardinal-humanist and planned houses for residents displaced by the transformation of Corsignano.

Why it matters

UNESCO's account of Pienza's rebuilding records palaces around the central square and twelve new houses near the town walls. Together, Palazzo Ammannati and the Case Nuove show the range of the papal project, from residences for members of the court to housing for the broader population. The planned homes formed part of the physical changes that accompanied the town's redesign.

What to notice

Palazzo Ammannati is a three-storey Renaissance town house with Guelph-cross windows articulating its facade and a modest courtyard with columns. The Case Nuove are a group of twelve two-storey houses in the southern part of Pienza. Each was provided with a well, an important feature of the scheme. Their scale and shared design contrast with the larger palaces built for members of the papal court.

Context and history

Cardinal Jacopo Ammannati, a humanist close to the Piccolomini, received his palace during the building campaign around the central square. The Case Nuove date to 1463. After the rebuilding, inhabitants displaced from old Corsignano needed new homes; Pius II commissioned architect Pietro Paolo del Porrina to design twelve houses. The planned units, built on two floors and equipped with wells, formed part of the town's broader transformation.