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MONTEPULCIANO
The most important town in the Valdichina is without any
doubt Montepulciano, a Florentine settlement in the territory
of Siena which is located in a marvellous position, on a top from
where it dominates the Val d'Orcia and the Valdichiana. The urban
centre of Montepulciano has been preserved intact since it was built
and features some pearls of the Renaissance architecture.
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The
important poet at the court of the Medici family, Angiolo Ambrogino
also called Il Polizano, was born here. The monumental centre of the
town is the Piazza Grande, a big harmonised and balanced square, lined
with several precious palaces: the Palazzo Comunale from the 14th
century, while the Palazzo Contucci was built in the 16th century.
Other elegant and majestic palaces are the Palazzo Nobili-Tarugi and
the Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo, from the 14th century facing
the elegant Renaissance well called the Pozzo dei Grifi e dei Leoni.
The square also features the Duomo with its incomplete façade.
Inside the Duomo features important artworks such as the Assumption
by Taddeo di Bartolo, the Madonna with Child by Sano di Pietro and
a beautiful sculpture by Michelozzo. Also have a look in the surroundings
of the Piazza Grande the Fortezza, restructured by Antonio Sangallo
il Vecchio in the 16th century and then modified in the 19th and 20th
century according to the Neo-classical taste.
The Teatro Poliziano is very nice, located next to the house
from the 14th century where the Renaissance poet was born. It is worth
to take a walk along the street Via Ricci, lined with medieval and
Renaissance buildings. Stop at the Museo Civico e Pinacoteca Crociati,
where you find paintings from the Sienese and Florentine schools from
the 13th and the 18th century, Etruscan findings, choral miniatures,
a nice collection of polychrome terracotta-works by Andrea della Robbia.
The Archivio and the Biblioteca Comunale, which hosts more than 15.000
ancient books, is located in the the Palazzo Ricci. Do not miss to
see the underground with the cellars where the famous wine Nobile
di Montepulciano is produced. The main street of Montepulciano, Il
Corso, offers a vast range of palaces fromthe 16th century. Do not
miss the Chiesa di Sant'Agostino, with its façade from the
15th century by Michelozzo and features important paintings, the Pulcinella
tower and the façades of the Patrician residences which looks
like the ones in Florence.
A real masterpiece is the Chiesa di san Biagio by Antonio da
Sangallo Il Vecchio, in the middle of a plateau below the hill of
Montepulciano. Built in travertine, the nave is Greek and crowned
with an ancient dome. Not far from the centre of Montepulciano you
should visit the Chiesa dii Santa Maria alle Grazie, with a Manneristic
façade and an interior from the 17th century, embellished with
a polychrome terracotta by Andrea della Robbia which is the frame
to a fresco from the 14th century. In the surroundings of Montepulciano
you can take the itinerary dedicated to the Vino Nobile which takes
the visitor to the vineyards, cellars and farms where you can taste
the excellent wines and enjoy a fantastic view. |
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