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Montalcino is a hill town and '' comune'' in the province of Siena, Tuscany, central Italy. The town is located to the west of Pienza, close to the
Crete Senesi The Crete Senesi refers to an area of the Italian region of Tuscany immediately to the south of Siena. It consists of a range of hills and woods among villages and includes the ''comuni'' of Asciano, Buonconvento, Monteroni d'Arbia, Rapolano Term ...
in Val d'Orcia. It is from Siena, from Florence and from
Pisa Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the cit ...
. Monte Amiata is located nearby.


History

The hill upon which Montalcino sits has probably been settled since
Etruscan __NOTOC__ Etruscan may refer to: Ancient civilization *The Etruscan language, an extinct language in ancient Italy *Something derived from or related to the Etruscan civilization **Etruscan architecture **Etruscan art **Etruscan cities **Etruscan ...
times. Its first mention in historical documents in 814 AD suggests there was a church here in the 9th century, most likely built by monks associated with the nearby
Abbey of Sant'Antimo The Abbey of Sant'Antimo, it, Abbazia di Sant'Antimo, is a former Benedictine monastery located in Castelnuovo dell'Abate, in the comune of Montalcino, Tuscany, central Italy. It is approximately 10 km from Montalcino about 9 km from th ...
. The population grew suddenly in the middle of the tenth century, when people fleeing the nearby town of Roselle took up residence in the town. The town takes its name from a variety of oak tree that once covered the terrain. The very high site of the town provides views over the Asso, Ombrone and Arbia valleys of Tuscany, dotted with olive orchards, vineyards, fields and villages. The lower slopes of the Montalcino hill itself are dominated by vines and
olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ...
orchards. During medieval times the city was known for its tanneries and for the shoes and other leather goods that were made from the high-quality leathers that were produced there. As time went by, many medieval hill towns, including Montalcino, went into serious economic decline. Like many of the medieval towns of Tuscany, Montalcino experienced long periods of peace and often enjoyed a measure of prosperity. This peace and prosperity was, however, interrupted by a number of extremely violent episodes. During the late Middle Ages it was an independent commune with considerable importance owing to its location on the old Via Francigena, the main road between France and Rome, but increasingly Montalcino came under the sway of the larger and more aggressive city of Siena. As a satellite of Siena since the Battle of Montaperti in 1260, Montalcino was deeply involved and affected by the conflicts in which Siena became embroiled, particularly in those with the city of Florence in the 14th and 15th centuries, and like many other cities in central and northern Italy, the town was also caught up in the internecine wars between the
Ghibellines The Guelphs and Ghibellines (, , ; it, guelfi e ghibellini ) were factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, respectively, in the Italian city-states of Central Italy and Northern Italy. During the 12th and 13th centuries, rivalr ...
(supporters of the Holy Roman Empire) and the Guelphs (supporters of the Papacy). Factions from each side controlled the town at various times in the late medieval period. Once Siena had been conquered by Florence under the rule of the Medici family in 1555, Montalcino held out for almost four years, but ultimately fell to the Florentines, under whose control it remained until the
Grand Duchy of Tuscany The Grand Duchy of Tuscany ( it, Granducato di Toscana; la, Magnus Ducatus Etruriae) was an Italian monarchy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1859, replacing the Republic of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence. In th ...
was amalgamated into a united Italy in 1861. In the case of Montalcino, gradual economic decline has recently been reversed by economic growth due to the increasing popularity of the town's famous wine
Brunello di Montalcino Brunello di Montalcino is a red DOCG Italian wine produced in the vineyards surrounding the town of Montalcino, in the province of Siena, located about 80 km south of Florence in the Tuscany wine region. Brunello, a diminutive of Bruno (" ...
, made from the
sangiovese grosso Sangiovese (, also , , ) is a red Italian wine grape variety that derives its name from the Latin ''sanguis Jovis'', "the blood of Jupiter". Though it is the grape of most of central Italy from Romagna down to Lazio (the most widespread grape ...
grapes grown within the comune. The number of producers of the wine has grown from only 11 in the 1960s to more than 200 today, producing some 330,000 cases of the Brunello wine annually. Brunello was the first wine to be awarded '' Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita'' (DOCG) status. In addition to Brunello di Montalcino, which must be aged five years prior to release, 6 years for the Riserva,
Rosso di Montalcino Brunello di Montalcino is a red DOCG Italian wine produced in the vineyards surrounding the town of Montalcino, in the province of Siena, located about 80 km south of Florence in the Tuscany wine region. Brunello, a diminutive of Bruno ("b ...
(DOC), made from sangiovese grosso grapes and aged one year, and a variety of
Super Tuscan Tuscan wine (Italian ''Toscana'') is Italian wine from the Tuscany region. Located in central Italy along the Tyrrhenian coast, Tuscany is home to some of the world's most notable wine regions. Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di ...
wines are also produced within the comune, as well as the Moscadello sweet white wines for which it was most famous until the development of the Brunello series.


Main sights


Medieval structures

The first walls of the town were built in the 13th century. The fortress, built in 1361 atop the highest point of the town, was designed with a pentagonal layout by the Sienese architects
Mino Foresi Mino may refer to: Places in Japan * Mino, Gifu, a city in Gifu Prefecture * Mino, Kagawa, a former town in Kagawa Prefecture * Mino, Tokushima, a town in Tokushima Prefecture * Mino, an alternate spelling of Minoh, a city in Osaka Prefecture * ...
and Domenico di Feo. The fortress incorporates some of the pre-existing southern walls, the pre-existing structures including the keep of Santo Martini, the San Giovanni tower and an ancient basilica which now serves as the fortress chapel. Though the town itself was eventually conquered, the fortress itself never submitted, an admirable feat, considering the size of the Sienese and Florentine forces that besieged Montalcino at varying intervals. The narrow, short street leads down from the main gate of the fortress to the ''
Chiesa di Sant'Agostino Chiesa (Italian, 'church') may refer to: People with the surname * Andrea Chiesa (born 1966), Swiss Formula One racer *Anthony della Chiesa (1394–1459), Italian Dominican friar * Bruno della Chiesa (born 1962), European linguist * Carlo Alberto ...
'' with its simple 13th-century, Romanesque façade. Adjacent to the church is the former convent, now the Musei Riuniti, both a civic and diocesan museum, housing among its collections: a wooden crucifix by an unknown artist of the Sienese school, two 15th century wooden sculptures, including a ''Madonna'' by an anonymous artist, and several terracotta sculptures attributed to the Della Robbia school. The collection also includes a ''St Peter and St Paul'' by Ambrogio Lorenzetti and a ''Virgin and Child'' by Simone Martini. There are also modern works from the early 20th century in the museum. The '' Duomo'' (cathedral), dedicated to San Salvatore, was built originally in the 14th Century, but now has a 19th-century Neoclassical façade designed by the Sienese architect
Agostino Fantasici Agostino may refer to: * Agostino (name) * ''Agostino'' (film), an Italian film directed by Mauro Bolognini * ''Agostino'' (novel), a short novel by Alberto Moravia *, an Italian coaster See also * Agostini (disambiguation) * D'Agostino (disambig ...
. The ''Piazza della Principessa Margherita'' is down the hill from the fortress and Duomo on the via Matteotti. The principal building on the piazza is the former ''Palazzo dei Priori'' or ''Palazzo Comunale'' (built late 13th, early 14th century), now town hall. The palace is adorned with the coats of arms of the Podesta, once rulers of the city. A tall medieval tower is incorporated into the palazzo. Close by is a Renaissance-style building with six round arches, called ''La Loggia'', for which construction began at the very end of the 14th century and finished in the early 15th, but which has undergone much restoration work over the subsequent centuries. Montalcino is divided, like most medieval Tuscan cities, into quarters called ''contrade'', Borghetto, Travaglio, Pianello and Ruga, each with their own colors, songs and separate drum rhythms to distinguish them. Twice a year they meet together in a breath taking archery contest under the walls of the Fortezza, conducted in Medieval dress, with lords and ladies of each contrada who accompany the proceedings. The 13th-century church of '' San Francesco'' in the Castlevecchio ''contrada'' has undergone several renovations. It contains 16th-century frescoes by
Vincenzo Tamagni Vincenzo Tamagni (1492 – c. 1516) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance. Born in San Gimignano, he became an apprentice first with il Sodoma at Monte Oliveto Maggiore, and then worked in the Vatican Loggie under Raphael in Rome (1512-1 ...
.


Other sights

*Churches with frescoes of the Sienese School *''Rocca'', a ruined castle *''
Sant'Antimo Sant'Antimo is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Naples in the Italian region Campania, located about 13 km north of Naples. Geography The municipality is located at 67 m above sea level and is 16 km from the ce ...
'', a nearby Benedictine abbey * Paleontological research into fossilised
skeleton A skeleton is the structural frame that supports the body of an animal. There are several types of skeletons, including the exoskeleton, which is the stable outer shell of an organism, the endoskeleton, which forms the support structure inside ...
s, notably a whale, at the Castello Banfi (former name:
Poggio alle Mura Poggio is an Italian word meaning "knoll". It may refer to: Places France *Poggio-di-Nazza, Haute-Corse, Corsica *Poggio-di-Venaco, Haute-Corse, Corsica * Poggio-d'Oletta, Haute-Corse, Corsica *Poggio-Marinaccio, Haute-Corse, Corsica * Poggio-Mez ...
) in 2007.


Culture

In 2010, the Festa Europea Della Musica had its first edition in Montalcino, to promote tourism and the produce, especially wine, of the region. Associated with the Fête de la Musique, created in 1981 in Paris to celebrate music and musicians, the Festa was incorporated into the Italian Minister of Culture's agenda in 1994, and has since spread across Italy.


''Frazioni''

The municipality is formed by the municipal seat of Montalcino and the towns and villages ('' frazioni'') of
Camigliano Camigliano is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Caserta in the Italian region Campania, located about north of Naples and about northwest of Caserta. Camigliano borders the following municipalities: Bellona, Formicola, Giano Vetu ...
,
Castelnuovo dell'Abate Castelnuovo dell'Abate is a village in Tuscany, central Italy, administratively a frazione of the comune of Montalcino, province of Siena. At the time of the 2001 census its population was 236.Montisi Montisi is an Italian village in the municipality of Montalcino, Province of Siena, Tuscany. It sits on a hill on the boundary between the Val d'Orcia and the Crete Senesi. History Montisi has ancient roots: in fact it arose in the Middle Ag ...
,
San Giovanni d'Asso San Giovanni d’Asso is a frazione of the ''comune'' of Montalcino, province of Siena, Italy. It is located about southeast of Florence and about southeast of Siena in the area known as the Crete Senesi. It was a ''comune'' until 2017. The ham ...
,
Sant'Angelo in Colle Sant'Angelo in Colle is a village in Tuscany, central Italy, administratively a frazione of the comune of Montalcino Montalcino is a hill town and ''comune'' in the province of Siena, Tuscany, central Italy. The town is located to the west of P ...
,
Sant'Angelo Scalo Sant'Angelo Scalo is a village in Tuscany, central Italy, administratively a frazione of the comune of Montalcino, province of Siena. At the time of the 2001 census its population was 185.Torrenieri Torrenieri is a town in Tuscany, central Italy, administratively a frazione of the comune of Montalcino, province of Siena. At the time of the 2001 census its population was 1,239.Lucignano d'Asso Lucignano d'Asso is a village in Tuscany, central Italy, in the comune of Montalcino Montalcino is a hill town and ''comune'' in the province of Siena, Tuscany, central Italy. The town is located to the west of Pienza, close to the Crete Sen ...
, Monte Amiata Scalo, Montelifré,
Monterongriffoli Monterongriffoli is a village in Tuscany, central Italy, located in the '' comune'' (municipality) of Montalcino Montalcino is a hill town and ''comune'' in the province of Siena, Tuscany, central Italy. The town is located to the west of Pie ...
, Pieve a Pava, Pieve a Salti, Poggio alle Mura, Tavernelle,
Vergelle Vergelle is a village in Tuscany, central Italy, in the comune of Montalcino Montalcino is a hill town and ''comune'' in the province of Siena, Tuscany, central Italy. The town is located to the west of Pienza, close to the Crete Senesi in V ...
and Villa a Tolli.


Honorary citizens

People awarded the honorary citizenship of Montalcino are:


See also

*
Brunello di Montalcino Brunello di Montalcino is a red DOCG Italian wine produced in the vineyards surrounding the town of Montalcino, in the province of Siena, located about 80 km south of Florence in the Tuscany wine region. Brunello, a diminutive of Bruno (" ...
* Val d'Orcia


References

{{Authority control Hilltowns in Tuscany Val d'Orcia Wine regions of Italy