The medieval city of Montepulciano. Trip in Tuscany, Italy
Montepulciano is built along a narrow ridge of limestone, from sea level to a height of 605 meters. The village is surrounded by walls and fortifications designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Elder in 1500 by order of Cosimo I. Montepulciano is known mainly for its impressive Renaissance palaces, the elegant beauty of its churches and for its "Vino Nobile", one of Tuscany's most prized wines internationally. The urban center is developed along a course that climbs the steep hill to reach the central square, Piazza Grande, which is located at its top.
Sights:
Starting from the lower part of the city outside the walls, are the Church of St. Agnes with the original Gothic portal (XIV) and face to sock Viviani (1926), the Medici Fortress of Sangallo and the fourteenth-century door Gracciano restored Sangallo the same in early 1500. We enter the old town by the gate of croaking little further to the left of Column Marzocco Piazza Savonarola we can see the church of San Bernardo (XVIII sec.) Architect Andrea Pozzo. On the right side of the street is the Palazzo del Vignola Avignonesi. Employ other Renaissance buildings up to the Palace in the base of which are walled Bucelli numerous urns and various stones and inscriptions, Etruscan and Latin. You then reach in P.za Michelozzo where is the beautiful church of S. Augustine with the facade of Michelozzo. In the same square you can see the Tower of Pulcinella (around the sixteenth century.) With the characteristic form that strikes the hours.
Continuing to climb are the Loggia del Grano or market, Vignola, and then the Palazzo Cervini by Giuliano da Sangallo, with the characteristic U-shaped plan and the courtyard outside. We arrive then to Grugni Palace and the Church of Jesus with its facade raw, beautiful work of Baroque Italian Andrea Pozzo. Follows the straight stretch of Via Opus until the crossroads of Via delle Farine. We thus arrive at Via del Poliziano with the fourteenth-century poet's house, followed by some buildings of the seventeenth century .. At the end of the avenue stands the church of Santa Maria dei Servi (XIV sec.) Tuscan-Gothic facade and an artistic portal. Within the third altar on the left, we see a valuable panel painting by Duccio di Boninsegna of Siena: the Madonna and Child.
Immediately after the church there are two routes: one on the left is the way Collazzi, from which it is found in low, the magnificent Temple St. Biagio, the road to the right is Via di San Donato, which runs along the Fort going up toward the Piazza Grande, the monumental center of the city. We arrived as the highest part of Montepulciano. The first building that strikes our attention in the square is surely the city hall. Its construction started in the second half of 1300, lasted until the middle of 1400, the restructuring and the final design are Michelozzo. Lined in travertine, florentine and taste is the plant generally is in the details of the facade and has a remarkable resemblance to the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence.
Inside, through the portal, opens a courtyard with two beautiful arched loggias addressed slightly lowered. E 'possible access to the tower, from which embraces one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. On nice days you can see from the side of the Val di Chiana, distant mountain ranges such as Catria, the Sibillini, the Cimone, the highest peaks of the Gran Sasso and, beyond the pre-Apennine mountains, Perugia, Assisi and the Subasio ; the other hand, the Monte Amiata, the Val d'Orcia, Pienza, Monticchiello and in the distance on a clear day, the towers of Siena. You can see the foot of the Apennines, the long strip of Lake Trasimeno with its islands, and the two lakes of Montepulciano and Chiusi.
The other buildings of the square are the source of the Well of the griffin and Leo the Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo, one of the examples of Gothic art stayed in Montepulciano, and immediately after, the Palace of Sangallo Tarugi, opposite the town hall, Palazzo Contucci always Sangallo and the Ulim pine brick by Baldassarre Peruzzi, and finally the Cathedral, within which there is a triptych of Sienese Taddeo di Bartolo.
Continuing along Via Ricci, where, immediately to the right is the Palazzo-Orselli Blacks in true Sienese Gothic style, in front of Palazzo Ricci Baldassarre Peruzzi. Via Ricci at the end of the church of St. Francis with a beautiful Gothic portal, the square in front of you can enjoy a beautiful view. From here we continue through the balcony and we find, in the bottom left, the Church of Saint Lucia, in the seventeenth century Baroque style. Finally, about 1 km from the city walls, on opposite sides of the city are the Temple of San Biagio and the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie.
Oratorio di S. Antonio
Church of San Bernardo
Francis