Pienza - Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta

The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta was built between 1459 and 1462 on the site of an earlier Romanesque church dedicated to the Virgin; the architect was Bernardo Rossellino. The travertine facade is articulated by pilasters and blind arcading, and on the pediment is Pius II's coat of arms, the tiara and keys of St Peter with the arms of the Piccolómini family. The light interior still shows Gothic influence; the nave and aisles are of the same height, bringing the cathedral into the category of the hall-church, a type relatively rare in Italy. The transepts are continued by a ring of chapels. The apse has extensive underbuilding, made necessary by the slope of the site. Notable features of the interior are the Gothic choir-stalls (1462) and a famous painting, the "Assumption" by Vecchietta (1412-80) in the chapel to the left of the choir. In the crypt is a font designed by Rossellino.