Pienza is situated in the beautiful Val d'Orcia and is known as the city of Pope Pius II, born Enea Silvio Piccolomini, in 1405. Pius II wished to create a worthy town which was unlike the town which had ostracised him, together with his family:  Siena. He demanded that famous architects and artists work on the project in accordance with the building and philosophical standards of an era that was full of promise: the Italian Renaissance. Pienza was built in just three years, from 1459 to 1462; it was the Perfect Town, the Utopian Town. A town whose midwife was "love and a dream of beauty" as Giovanni Pascoli wrote. The town as well as the entire surrounding Val d'Orcia has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Lastly, the beautiful village of Montichiello is worthy of mention; the locals still keep alive the ancient tradition of the Poor Theatre, demonstrating the town's vitality and the townspeople's ability to gather together and put on a show to celebrate their own history and identify.