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Montepulciano

Montepulciano is a medieval town of rare beauty, well worth a visit! The village stands out for its elegant Renaissance buildings, ancient churches, splendid squares and small hidden corners where it is possible to admire unique views of the Val d’Orcia and Val di Chiana.

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Montepulciano, stands on a hill 600 meters above sea level and is a unique village with elegant Renaissance palaces, ancient churches, beautiful squares and small hidden corners. From Montepulciano, there is also a fabulous and boundless view of the Val d’Orcia and Val di Chiana.

Starting from the lower part of the city, outside the walls, is the Church of Sant’Agnese with its original Gothic portal (14th century) and balzana facade by Viviani (1926) and the 19th-century Poggiofanti garden. Renowned is the historic center which is accessed from the Porta al Prato, renovated by Sangallo himself in the early 1500s, a little further on, the Colonna del Marzocco, which bears at the top the Florentine lion that was placed there in 1511 in place of the Sienese she-wolf, testifying to the city’s final subjection to Florence after the 26-year rule of the Sienese Republic. To the left in Piazza Savonarola is the small church of San Bernardo, home of the San Girolamo Conservatory Foundation. Numerous in Gracciano Street are Renaissance palaces that give it the appearance of a 16th-century street. On the right side is Vignola’s Palazzo Avignonesi. Other Renaissance palaces follow until we come to the Palazzo Bucelli in whose basement are walled numerous cinerary urns and various Etruscan and Latin stones and inscriptions. We then come to Piazza Michelozzo di Bartolomeo, the Florentine architect who designed the facade of the Church of St. Augustine. In the same square is the Torre di Punchinello (circa 16th century) with the characteristic Neapolitan mask placed at the top that strikes the hours of a clock that is still working, making it unique in Italy.

Continuing uphill we find the Logge del Grano or del Mercato by Vignola, then Giuliano da Sangallo’s Palazzo Cervini, with its characteristic U-shaped plan and outdoor courtyard. We then come to the Palazzo Grugni and the Church of Jesus, with rough facade, a beautiful work of Italian Baroque by Andrea Pozzo. It follows the straight stretch via dell’Opio to the crossroads of via delle Farine. Continuing forward we come to Via del Poliziano with the 14th-century house of the poet Agnolo (Angelo) Ambrogini (Montepulciano, July 14, 1454 – Florence, Sept. 29, 1494), known as Poliziano, from the Latin name of his hometown, Mons Politianus, author of “The Rooms” and “The Orpheus.” At the end of the tree-lined avenue we find the Church of Santa Maria dei Servi (14th cent.) with a Gothic-Tuscan facade and an artistic portal. Inside at the third altar on the left, we can admire a valuable panel painting by Duccio di Boninsegna of Siena: the Madonna and Child.

Immediately after the church, two streets open up: the one on the left is Via di Collazzi, from which one discovers, below, the stupendous Temple of St. Blaise; the street on the right is Via di San Donato, which runs alongside the Fortress, dating back to 1261, now a true cultural center, as well as the headquarters of the Consorzio del Vino nobile di Montepulciano and the Kennesaw University (Atlanta, USA) detachment. The highest point in Montepulciano is Piazza Grande, the monumental center of the city. The first striking building is the municipal building. Its construction began in the second half of the 1300s and continued until the mid-1400s; the renovation and final design are by Michelozzo. Clad in travertine, it is Florentine in taste both in the general layout of the facade and in the details and bears a striking resemblance to Florence’s Palazzo Vecchio. Inside there is access to the tower, from which there is a splendid view.

Also visible in the Piazza Grande are the Pozzo dei Grifi e dei Leoni, the Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo, one of the remaining examples of Gothic art in Montepulciano, the Palazzo Tarugi by Sangallo, and, opposite the town hall, the Palazzo Contucci also by Sangallo. On the south side of the square, finally, it is possible to see the unfinished facade of the Duomo, inside which is the triptych by the Sienese Taddeo di Bartolo.

Continuing along Via Ricci where, immediately to the right, is Palazzo Sisti, which houses the Montepulciano Library, which boasts an ancient collection of about 12,000 volumes and a modern one of about 48,000 volumes, and theHistorical Archives, also home to the Judicial Fund. Moving forward is the Neri-Orselli Palace, in pure Gothic-Senese style, which houses the Crociani Civic Art Gallery Museum, housing over two hundred
authentic masterpieces including a portrait, recently attributed to Caravaggio. Opposite we find Baldassarre Peruzzi’s Palazzo Ricci, home of the De’ Ricci Winery, which because of its structure divided into three longitudinal naves where imposing pillars (mt. 6.70) support immense round arches and cross vaults, is reminiscent of a Roman-Gothic Cathedral.

At the end of Via Ricci we encounter the Church of St. Francis with a beautiful Gothic portal; there is a beautiful view from the small square in front. From here we continue along Via del Poggiolo and find, at the far left, the Church of Santa Lucia, in 17th-century Baroque style. Finally, about 1 km from the city wall, on opposite sides of the city, are the Temple of St. Blaise, built by Antonio da Sangallo the Elder between 1518 and 1545, which is a masterpiece of 16th-century Tuscany, and the church of St. Mary of Grace, with a facade designed by Orvieto native Ippolito Scalza.

Montepulciano is also famous for Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG, the first Italian wine to be awarded the Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita, a fine red wine with great personality that enhances an eno-gastronomic tradition as deep-rooted as it is respectful of the seasonality of its individual elements.

Typicality & Historical events

Typicality

As anticipated, Montepulciano is famous all over the world especially for the Vino Nobile to which it gives its name, and numerous are the tourists who come every year to taste the excellent wine produced in this Land. Making a few references to the past, we see that in 1933 at the first market exhibition of typical wines held in Siena ,Cantina Fanetti, a company still present in Montepulciano, proposed a fine red wine that won great acclaim. This example was also followed by other companies, and in 1937 a social winery was founded with the aim of creating a suitable structure for marketing the wine produced not only by large companies but also by small growers. Mostly Chianti was produced. Today, however, especially Noble. During the 1960s, in fact, there was a reversal of the trend and they began to produce mostly Vino Nobile. Companies have converted plantings under vines thanks to grants from the state and the EEC. Finally in 1980 came for Vino Nobile di Montepulciano the recognition as DOCG.

Historical events

How to get to Montepulciano

Montepulciano is 12 km from Chianciano Terme and can be reached either by car, with suburban bus connections available on weekdays and holidays, and finally it is also possible to get there with the service offered by the Valdichiana Gran Tour active, however, only in the summer months.