Pienza – Photo Gallery – Then & Now

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P01: Scene 5 – Direction: “Members of the family and servants of the Capulets are rushing to fetch swords and clubs from the Capulet armoury”.
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P01N – View today (June 2019). Palazzo Piccolomini, Pienza, Italy. East colonnaded aisle of the Quadrangle, showing the direct access via the main entrance to the Piazza, with a view of the Cathedral in the far background
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P02 – Scene 5 cont.: The Capulets enter the armoury
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P02N – View today (June 2019). The room in the NE corner of the Quadrangle, where the armoury was re-located for the movie. Note the fireplace and the unusual plasterwork above it. In the movie, the production team put a “Capulet” shield emblem above the fireplace.
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P03 – Scene 5 cont. Direction: “Capulets…rushing out in a body from the main door of the mansion, shouting and inveighing against the Montagues”.
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P03N – View today (June 2019). The main entrance to the Palazzo Piccolomini in the Piazza Pio II. The Cathedral is on the left.
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P04: Scene 13: Capulets’ House, Interior Day. Direction: “Capulet and Paris are going up the stairs, on their way to the upper floor of the mansion, and pass through rooms and corridors, chatting, The tone is friendly, relaxed.”
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P04N – The main staircase today (June 2019) from the ground floor to the first floor (US: second floor). In the movie, the production team put the “Capulet” shield emblem just above the archway.
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P05: Scene 15 – Capulets’ house – Interior. Direction: “And now we see Juliet for the first time … running past the wide-open windows of the corridor.”
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P05N:Palazzo Piccolomini – First floor (US 2nd floor) N. gallery. Windows on the left face onto the inner Quadrangle. (June 2019).
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P06 – Scene 15 cont. Lady Capulet’s bedroom.
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P06N: View today (June 2019). The four-poster bed was dismantled for the movie and moved from Pope Pio II’s bedroom (where it is currently) and re-assembled in the Palazzo’s dining room. Note the painting of the “Crucifixion” on the wall (16th century oil on glass). This was also moved into the dining room and placed on wall next to the bed – see photo P06 (above).
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P06A – Lady Capulet’s bedroom, which was created in the dining room of the Palazzo Piccolomini – identifiable by the carved relief pattern and unusual colour of the fireplace, and its position adjacent to the windows.

 

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P07 – Scene 15 cont. Ante room – between Lord Capulet’s study and Lady Capulet’s bedroom. (Note the “Capulet” shield on the centre of the architrave to the door and the dark blemishes on the top right hand corner of the architrave).
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P07N: View today (June 2019). The doorway from the Entrance Room to the Music Room. The lintel to the door’s architrave bears the Piccolomini family crest that was covered over in the movie by the “Capulet” shield emblem. The right hand corner of the architrave still bears the dark blemishes, noticeable in photo P07 (above), which locates Scene 15 to the present day Entrance Room.
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P08: Scene 13. Lord Capulet in his study with Paris. (Note the plaster design in the centre of the fireplace, and the white jug on the left of the rack and compare with photo P08N (below).
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P08N – View today (June 2019). Music room used as Lord Capulet’s study. Located by the design at the centre of the fireplace lintel and the colonnaded wood panelling. The white jug (noted in photo P08) is still there on the rack above the panelling.
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P09 – Scene 16: Various Streets and Cathedral Square. Exterior Night. Romeo and other Montagues moves vaguely in the direction of the Capulet house for the Masked Ball
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P09N(a): Model of the Piazza Pio II, Pienza, showing the initial direction of the Montague revellers in Scene 16. They move from the Via Del Casello into the Piazza, in front of the Palazzo Borgia, and across the front of the Cathedral.
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P09N(b). View today (June 2019) of the front of the Palazzo Borgia, and across the doors of the Cathedral.
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P010 – Scene 16 cont. Mercutio dancing on the steps as the revellers make their way to the Ball. Scene cuts to Cinecitta studios (Main Square) for the remainder of the Scene 16.
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P010N(a). Model of the N. elevation (rear) of the Palazzo Piccolomini, showing the direction of the Montague revellers in Scene 16, as they walk down the Corso Rossellino and left into the Via Del Balzello.
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P010N(b): View today (June 2019). Via Del Balzello.
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P011: Scene 15: Direction: “There is a great hustle and bustle in the Capulets’ house. Noisy preparations for the feast are at their height … in the vast courtyard musicians pass and servants laden with trays.”
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P011N: The Palazzo Piccolomini recently dressed for festivities. Note that the decorations of the swags between the pillars of the Quadrangle are almost identical to those used in the movie in 1967. (Source: Anadel)