Montepulciano

Montepulciano
Comune
Comune di Montepulciano
Panorama of Montepulciano
Coat of arms
Location of Montepulciano
UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	53045
Dialing code	0578
Patron saint	St. John the Baptist
Saint day	29 August
Website	Official website

Montepulciano (Italian: [ˌmontepulˈtʃaːno]) is a medieval and Renaissance hill town and comune in the Italian province of Siena in southern Tuscany. It sits high on a 605-metre (1,985 ft) limestone ridge, 13 kilometres (8 mi) east of Pienza, 70 kilometres (43 mi) southeast of Siena, 124 kilometres (77 mi) southeast of Florence, and 186 kilometres (116 mi) north of Rome by car.

Montepulciano is a wine-producing region. The

According to legend, it was founded by the 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

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 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^[6] for 1.5 kilometres (0.9 mi).

The main landmarks include:

• Palazzo Comunale: city hall designed by
  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, an enormous 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 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: 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

• Cardinal, and Doctor of the Church was born here on October 4, 1542.^[7]
• Agnes of Montepulciano, a Roman Catholic Saint, was born here in the neighbourhood of Montepulciano 1268.^[8]
• The
  classical scholar and poet Angelo Poliziano was born in Montepulciano on July 14, 1454.^[9][10][11]
• The Baroque composer and violinist Giovanni Antonio Pandolfi was born in Montepulciano in 1624.
• The members of the music band Baustelle, 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 (sindaco) assisted by a legislative body, the consiglio comunale, and an executive body, the giunta comunale. Since 1995 the mayor and members of the consiglio comunale are directly elected together by resident citizens, while from 1945 to 1995 the mayor was chosen by the legislative body. The giunta comunale is chaired by the mayor, who appoints others members, called assessori. The offices of the comune are housed in a building usually called the municipio or palazzo comunale.

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

• Moulins, France

Gallery

• 
  Piazza Grande
• 
  Madonna di San Biagio Sanctuary
• 
  Palazzo Tarugi
• 
  Palazzo del Capitano
• 
  Street in the city center
• 
  The Cathedral
• 
  Sant'Agostino church
• 
  Poliziano Theatre
• 
  Public library
• 
  Restaurant in the city center
• 
  View from the town
• 
  Countryside around Montepulciano

See also

• Bruscello

References

External links

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article "Montepulciano".

• Montepulciano travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Media related to Montepulciano at Wikimedia Commons

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