This town of exceptional beauty is built along a narrow limestone ridge and sits 605 m above sea level. The town is encircled by walls and fortifications designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Elder in 1511 for Cosimo I. Inside the walls the streets are crammed with Renaissance-style palaces and churches.

The town is chiefly known for its good local “Vino Nobile” wines. A long, winding street called the Corso climbs up into the main square, which crowns the summit of the hill.

Main Sights

The Palazzo Comunale, designed by Michelozzo in the tradition of the Palazzo della Signoria (Palazzo Vecchio) of Florence.

Palazzo Tarugi

The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, or the Duomo of Montepulciano, contstructed 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.

The church of Santa Maria delle Grazie (late 16th century). It has 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.

The Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Biagio, on the road to Chianciano outside the city. It is a typical 16th century Tuscan edifice, designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger 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.

Local Events

Last Sunday of August "Bravìo delle Botti" – After a week of medieval pageantry, festivities and feasting, costumed two-man teams from Montepulciano’s eight districts compete for a painted cloth banner, by rolling barrels that weigh 80 kilos each up the steep main street to the piazza at the top – a 1800 metre route.

Market Day Thursday