There are an endless list of places to visit while enjoying a stay in a villa with pool in Tuscany that could compete for best view but many of these spots are in and around the famously picturesque area known as the Orcia Valley. This part of Tuscany epitomises the renowned beauty of the Tuscan countryside – think rolling green hills swathed in thin bands of fog in the early mornings and lit with golden light in the evenings, pretty and historic villages perched overlooking the valleys, cypresses lining winding roads, vineyards and olive groves stretching out to the horizon. It is an area of true pastoral perfection and one of the best places to enjoy these views, among all the amazing candidates, while staying in a vacation rental in the Orcia Valley, is from the gardens of the Palazzo Piccolomini.
Located in the, “ideal Renaissance town,” of Pienza, which is one of those towns ideally perched to take in sweeping panoramas, the stunning palace is inspired by Alberti’s Palazzo Rucellai in Florence and was built for the creator of this perfect town, Enea Silvio Piccolomini (later Pope Pius II). Romantic and beautiful, the palace was even a filming location for Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet. However, the loveliest part is the garden to the rear of the palace and the views afforded from it.
The first, “hanging garden,” of the Renaissance, this gem features gorgeous box hedges, a stunning symmetrical plan, and its original garden furniture (some 500 years later!). Best of all, as you walk down through this idyllic space that runs the whole length of the rear of the property, you will get glimpses through before arriving at an arch in the hedges that reveals stunning and utterly unimpeded views over the Orcia Valley and Mount Amiata beyond.
A truly magical garden that has been perfectly realised for this perfect palace in this perfect town, this is surely one of the most ideal views that one can take in while enjoying a villa in Tuscany.
