Montepulciano

At the meeting point of two valleys, the Val D'Orcia and the Val di Chiana, stands Montepulciano. Built along the narrow top of a limestone hill, this beautiful medieval town looks like a natural continuation of the relief on which it is built. Piazza Grande is the heart of Montepulciano and the stage for the town's main events, including Il Bravio delle Botti, held each year in August, and much more. A walk through the streets of Montepulciano is the best way to discover the town and its attractions while taking in the incredible view of the surrounding countryside all covered with those fabulous vineyards that produce the famous Nobile. Recently Montepulciano has become a popular tourist destination with a significant increase in visitors, following the filming of the famous movie New Moon, sequel to the vampire saga Twilight. The ridge was probably inhabited even in Etruscan/Roman times given the findings found (and visible) along Via San Donato at the height of the image of St. Francis. Aiding the development of Montepulciano was its being on the ridge of the valley that joined Chiusi / Chianciano with Arezzo / Cortona. Tradition has it that Montepulciano was founded by King Porsenna ... but this may just be a legend. Also tradition has Montepulciano evangelized in the 4th century by St. Donatus bishop of Arezzo. The first official mention of Montepulciano is in a 715 note that mentions it as "mons Politianus." In the medieval period Montepulciano was a free commune. The 12th and 13th centuries are remembered for the many wars with the nearby Republic of Siena. In 1511 Montepulciano passed definitively under Florence. With the fall of Siena in 1555, Montepulciano lost much of its strategic importance and Montepulciano's architectural Renaissance period began.