VISITS

The elegant buildings, ancient churches, splendid squares and exquisite views that characterise the town centre make Montepulciano a veritable open-air museum, so much so that it has been nicknamed the “Pearl of the 16^th century” for its extraordinary cultural and architectural heritage. It is no coincidence that it has been chosen as the set for numerous films including “The Devil in Love” by Ettore Scola, “The English Patient” by Anthony Minghella and, more recently, for “New Moon” in the “Twilight” saga, with scenes filmed between the main square, Palazzo Comunale and what was once Cantina del Redi.

The historical part of town develops around the main street, “Il Corso”, which, with its historic buildings and craft workshops, links the lower part of the town, from Porta al Prato, to the top of the hill, where Piazza Grande, which hosts numerous cultural events of national and international importance, is located.

Along the way, it is worth stopping to admire the famous Torre dell’Orologio, the clock tower featuring the figure of Pulcinella, which marks time for the townspeople and for the many tourists who immortalise it in their photos every year.

Visitors to the Piazza can admire Palazzo Comunale, with its tower and crenellations, reminiscent of those of Palazzo della Signoria in Florence, and the Duomo, dating back to the end of the 16^th century, with its large unfinished façade and the extraordinary works that it houses, like the triptych of the Assumption by Taddeo di Bartolo.

Immediately outside the city walls are the Church of Sant’Agnese with its original Gothic gate and Viviani’s balzana façade, the Medici Fortress by Antonio da Sangallo the Elder, the 14^th century gate by Gracciano, restored by Sangallo at the beginning of the 16^th century, and the temple of the Madonna di San Biagio, another masterpiece by Sangallo, which became a source of inspiration for Michelangelo for his work on St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

Museums worth visiting are the Museo Civico Pinacoteca Crociani, where, together with numerous archaeological finds, there are over two hundred authentic masterpieces, including a portrait recently attributed to Caravaggio, and the Museo della Tortura Palazzo Bellarmino.

Montepulciano is the land of Nobile DOCG and Rosso di Montepulciano DOC, Vin Santo, Chianti Colli Senesi and Bianco Vergine Val di Chiana.

Nobile is the ideal wine to accompany the local cuisine, which offers simple but robust and tasty products and dishes: ham, Cinta Senese charcuterie, barbecued Chianina steak, delicious toast with spleen and livers, pansanto made with bread, beans and extra virgin olive oil, often eaten during Lent, and crispy bruschetta.

The area’s typical pasta dish is pici: handmade spaghetti served with meat sauce. Also worth trying are pappardelle with a sauce made of hare or wild boar, bread soup, grilled porcini mushrooms served with ciaccia, flattened bread dough seasoned with oil, or fresh bread, strictly without salt to give way to all the other flavours.
Desserts worth mentioning include the famous cantucci, the almond biscuits that are so perfect for dipping in Vinsanto.
You can taste all these delicacies in an elegant restaurant or a typical trattoria in the heart of the village, or perhaps an agriturismo in the local countryside.