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Montepulciano () is a medieval and Renaissance hill town and '' comune'' in the Italian province of Siena in southern Tuscany. It sits high on a limestone ridge, east of Pienza, southeast of Siena, southeast of Florence, and north of Rome by car. Montepulciano is a wine-producing region. The
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is a red wine with a Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita status produced in the vineyards surrounding the town of Montepulciano, Italy. The wine is made primarily from the Sangiovese grape varietal (known ...
has Denominazione di origine controllata e garantita status and is, with the
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 (" ...
and Chianti Classico, one of the principal red wines of Tuscany. The Rosso di Montepulciano and
Vin Santo di Montepulciano Vin or VIN may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Vîn TV, a Kurdish language satellite television channel founded in 2007 * ''Vos Iz Neias?'', an American Jewish online news site * Coastal radio station VIN Geraldton (callsign), a statio ...
have Denominazione di origine controllata status.


History

According to legend, it was founded by the
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 ...
King Lars Porsena of Clusium (modern Chiusi). Recent findings prove that a settlement was in existence in the 4th-3rd centuries BC. In Roman times it was the seat of a garrison guarding the main roads of the area. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, it developed as a religious center under the Lombards. In the 12th century it was repeatedly attacked by the Republic of Siena, which the Poliziani faced with the help of the Perugia and
Orvieto Orvieto () is a city and ''comune'' in the Province of Terni, southwestern Umbria, Italy, situated on the flat summit of a large butte of volcanic tuff. The city rises dramatically above the almost-vertical faces of tuff cliffs that are compl ...
, and sometimes Florence, communes. The 14th century was characterized by constant struggles between the local noble families, until the Del Pecora family became rulers of the town. From 1390, Montepulciano was a loyal ally (and later possession) of Florence and, until the mid-16th century, lived a period of splendour with architects such as Antonio da Sangallo the Elder,
Jacopo Barozzi Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola ( , , ; 1 October 15077 July 1573), often simply called Vignola, was one of the great Italian architects of 16th century Mannerism. His two great masterpieces are the Villa Farnese at Caprarola and the Jesuits' Churc ...
da Vignola, Baldassarre Peruzzi,
Ippolito Scalza Ippolito or Eppolito is an Italian surname and given name, and the Italian form of the name of Saint Hippolytus of Rome. It may refer to: Given name * Ippolito Adobrandini, birth name of Pope Clement VIII (1536–1605) * Ippolito Aldobrandini (card ...
and others, building luxurious residences and other edifices here. In 1559, when Siena was conquered by Florence and Montepulciano lost its strategic role, its importance declined. After the unification of Italy and the drying of the Val di Chiana, the town remained the most important agricultural centre in the area, while the industrial activities moved mostly next to Chiusi, which was nearer to the railroad being built in that period. A competitive "barrel race through the city" called the
Bravio delle botti The Bravio delle botti (''Bravio of the barrels)'' is an annual race held in the Italian town of Montepulciano since 1974, replacing an equivalent horserace dating back to 1373. Teams of two runners (spingitori) representing the eight districts of t ...
has been held on the last Sunday of August since the 14th Century.


Main sights

Since the Second World War, tourism has been a significant aspect in the economy of the urban part of the commune. Many of the streets are designated as car-free. Most of the shops and restaurants are on the main street, which stretches from Porta Al Prato to Piazza Grande for . The main landmarks include: * Palazzo Comunale: city hall designed by
Michelozzo Michelozzo di Bartolomeo Michelozzi (1396 – 7 October 1472) was an Italian architect and sculptor. Considered one of the great pioneers of architecture during the Renaissance, Michelozzo was a favored Medici architect who was extensively empl ...
recalling the Palazzo della Signoria (Palazzo Vecchio) of Florence. * Palazzo Tarugi, attributed to Antonio da Sangallo the Elder or Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola. It is entirely in travertine, with a portico which was once open to the public. * Santa Maria Assunta Cathedral, or the Duomo of Montepulciano, constructed between 1594 and 1680, includes a masterpiece from the Sienese School, a massive ''Assumption of the Virgin'' triptych painted by Taddeo di Bartolo in 1401. * Santa Maria delle Grazie: late 16th-century) church with a simple Mannerist façade with a three-arcade portico. The interior has a single nave, and houses a precious terracotta altar by Andrea della Robbia. *
Madonna di San Biagio San Biagio is a church outside Montepulciano, Tuscany, central Italy. History The church, which was built between 1518 and 1540, an example of Renaissance Greek cross central plan, was designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Elder, who was inspired ...
Sanctuary: church, located on the road to Chianciano outside the city, it is a typical 16th century Tuscan edifice, designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Elder on a pre-existing '' Pieve'', between 1518 and 1545. It has a circular (central) plan with a large dome over a terrace and a squared tambour. The exterior, with two bell towers, is built in white travertine. *
Santa Lucia Santa Lucia and similar terms may refer to: Architecture * Abbey of Santa Lucia, a medieval abbey in the comune of Rocca di Cambio, Abruzzo, central Italy * Monastero di Santa Lucia, Adrano, a former Benedictine monastery in Catania, Italy * S ...
: Baroque church with altarpiece by Luca Signorelli. * Museo Civico di Montepulciano: located in the Palazzo Neri Orselli, displaying a collection of archeologic items, paintings, and terracotta works by the Della Robbia family.


Notable people

* St. Robert Bellarmine, a Roman Catholic
Saint In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...
,
Cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
, and
Doctor of the Church Doctor of the Church (Latin: ''doctor'' "teacher"), also referred to as Doctor of the Universal Church (Latin: ''Doctor Ecclesiae Universalis''), is a title given by the Catholic Church to saints recognized as having made a significant contribu ...
was born here on October 4, 1542. * Agnes of Montepulciano, a Roman Catholic Saint, was born here in the neighbourhood of Montepulciano 1268. * The Florentine classical scholar and poet
Angelo Poliziano Agnolo (Angelo) Ambrogini (14 July 1454 – 24 September 1494), commonly known by his nickname Poliziano (; anglicized as Politian; Latin: '' Politianus''), was an Italian classical scholar and poet of the Florentine Renaissance. His scho ...
was born in Montepulciano on July 14, 1454. *The Baroque composer and violinist Giovanni Antonio Pandolfi was born in Montepulciano in 1624. * The members of the music band "
Baustelle Baustelle is an indie rock band from Montepulciano, Italy. Biography Formed in the mid-'90s in the Tuscan town of Montepulciano, Italy, Baustelle (a German word that means "construction site" - or "building site" in English) didn't receive mu ...
", formed in 1994, have origins in the town. * Notable International actors, playwrights, and diplomats reside in the town.


Municipal government

Montepulciano is headed by a mayor (') assisted by a legislative body, the ', and an executive body, the '. Since 1995 the mayor and members of the ' are directly elected together by resident citizens, while from 1945 to 1995 the mayor was chosen by the legislative body. The ' is chaired by the mayor, who appoints others members, called '. The offices of the ' are housed in a building usually called the ' or '. Since 1995 the mayor of Montepulciano is directly elected by citizens, originally every four, then every five years. The current mayor is Michele Angiolini ( PD), elected on 26 May 2019 with the 56.2% of the votes.


Twin towns—sister cities

Montepulciano is twinned with: * Moulins, France


Gallery

File:Montepulciano, piazza grande 02.jpg, Piazza Grande File:Montepulciano - Madonna di San Biagio.JPG, Madonna di San Biagio Sanctuary File:Palazzo Nobili-Tarugi - 2.jpg, Palazzo Tarugi File:Palazzo del Capitano Montepulciano SIENA.jpg, Palazzo del Capitano File:Montepulciano - Tuscany CD5A5312 (50531667103).jpg, Street in the city center File:Duomo di montepulciano, esterno 01.jpg, The Cathedral File:MontepulcianoSantAgostino1.jpg, Sant'Agostino church File:Montepulciano, teatro Poliziano - Sala 2.jpg, Poliziano Theatre File:Montepulciano Biblioteca Comunale.jpg, Public library File:Ristorante La Bottega del Nobile (Montepulciano).jpg, Restaurant in the city center File:European village (Unsplash).jpg, View from the town File:Montepulciano, Italy (Unsplash u4LZtMPbt 4).jpg, Countryside around Montepulciano


See also

*
Bruscello Bruscello is form of folk theatre with songs and music performed every year in the Tuscan town of Montepulciano, on or around 15 August. The word comes from ''arboscello'', meaning small tree - one of the players always carries a small tree. Its or ...


References


External links

* * Hilltowns in Tuscany {{Siena-geo-stub