Montepulciano
Montepulciano is a city in Tuscany famous for its wines, especially the classic red wine Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. The town has gained notability from being used as a location for the Twilight films.
Understand
Get in
By road
Montepulciano is a few kilometres from the A1 Autostrada and from the more scenic SS2 from Rome to Florence. Cars are not allowed inside the historical old town (except with a permit, available from hotels) so park in one of the numerous lots at the edge of the town. The lots fill up quickly in late summer, the height of the tourist season.
By bus
Buses, departing from Piazza Pietro Nenni, connect Montepulciano with many other Tuscan cities: Siena (75 minutes, 4/day none on Sunday), Pienza (30 minutes, 8/day), Montalcino (1 hour, 10/day, change in Torrenien) and Chiusi (hourly). Route #146 into Montepulciano is quite scenic. See Tuscany#Get_around for tips.
If you are walking into town from the bus station (autostazione in Italian), there is a pedestrian short-cut with an elevator and stairs to the top of the cliff. The entrance is through a portal on Via delle Lettere at the corner of Piazzale dello Sterro, about 50 m from the bus station.
Get around
The only way to get around is to walk along the steep pathways.
See
- Tourist Information, ☎ +39 0578-757-341. M-Sa 09:30-12:30 & 15:00-18:00, Su 09:30-12:30. The office is on Piazza don Minzoni.
- 🌍 Piazza Grande. Pleasant piazza surrounded by great architecture, like the medieval Palazzo Comunale, Contucci Palace, & Palazzo de' Nobili-Tarugi
- Civic Museum, on Via Ricci, ☎ +39 0578-717-300. Tu-Sa 10:00-13:00, 15:00-18:00; Su 10:00-18:00. This small museum's highlight is the della Robbia ceramic alterpieces & Etruscan artifacts. €4.10.
- 🌍
San Biagio Church. Open daily 9AM-1PM & 3PM-7PM. A wonderful Renaissance church with soaring nave & dome, with a challenging walk from the church to the town center.
Do
- Palazzo Comunale. The clock tower of the Palazzo Comunale can be climbed for a great town view (€1.60 open daily 10:00-18:00)
- Wine tasting can be done in the Cantinas along Via Ricci & Via di Gracciano nel Corso, but the most fun one is in the basement of the Contucci Palace, on Piazza Grande. Free tasting, no food, open daily 08:30-12:30 & 14:30-18:30. Groups welcome with a reservation. Telephone: +39 0578-757-006
- The house and property of La Foce is a short drive away. The 15th century villa was built as an inn for pilgrims and merchants traveling on the ancient road to Rome, Via Francigena. Restored as a private home by Iris and Antonio Origo, the house and the gardens make for a pleasant two hour visit from Montepulciano. The villa and property (as also are Montepulciano and Chiusi) are the centerpiece of the very readable book War in the Val D'Orcia by Iris Origo. Summertime music concerts are also featured. All tours are guided, so call ahead.
Buy
- Market Day is Thursday
- 🌍 Enrico Crociani men's clothing, Via Dell'Opio nel Corso, 6, ☎ +39 0578 758823, e-mail: crociani@bccmp.com. Daily 10:30-13:00, 15:00-19:30. Handicrafted local-made man's clothing
Eat
- Ai Quattro Venti, Next to city hall on Piazza Grande, ☎ +39 0578-717-231. F-W 12:30-14:00 & 19:30-22:30. Fresh, flavorful, & fun, on Piazza Grande with indoor & outdoor seating. €7 pastas.
- Osteria dell'Aquacheta, on Via del Teatro, ☎ +39 0578-717-086. W-M 12:30-15:00 & 19:30-22:30. €5 pastas & salads.
Drink
Montepulciano is the center of an ancient wine-growing region, so go ahead and sample some. Three varieties of wine are available (all are mostly from the sangiovese grape): Rosso di Montepulciano, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Reserva, in increasing order of subtlety and price. The wines tend to be full-bodied, the kind that goes well with a picture of generations of Tuscan peasants, sitting in the fields, eating cinghiale (boar) while swigging the good stuff!
Sleep
- Mueble il Riccio, ☎ +39 0578-757-713, fax: +39 0578-757-151, e-mail: info@ilriccio.net. 6 medieval elegant rooms, an awesome rooftop terrace, & friendly owners. Breakfast €8, air-conditioning, a block below main square at Via Talosa. Gio & Ivana speak English, Gio or his son give country tours in one of their classic cars for €25/hour. Single w/bathroom €80, double w/bathroom from €100.
- Camere Bellavista Has 10 rooms, some with better views than others. Room 6 has a terrace worth reserving. Double w/bathroom €55, nicer double w/bathroom €65, breakfast €2.50, cash only, no elevator, on Via Ricci 25, little English spoken, Mobile phone: 347-823-2314
- Via della Stella. 15 km from Montepulciano and Cortona. Complex comprises 2 independent buildings equipped with own outdoor areas and finished and furnished with Tuscan pieces, with wrought-iron beds. 9x18 m pool, whirlpool (extra), ping-pong, playground for children, bowl-court and barbecue. Parking by the farmhouse.
- Borgo Tre Rose (Borgo Tre Rose), Via dei Palazzi, 5, ☎ +39 0578 724231. 3-star hotel with swimming pool, located in the Tuscan hills not far from Montepulciano historical center. Room rates from €110 to €180.
- Agriturismo B&B Casa di Bacco, Via della Fornace Valiano 16, ☎ +39 3388054069. Check-in: 13:00, check-out: 10:00. Farmhome hotel with seven rooms (four shower and three jacuzzi) and one apartment (fireplace and jacuzzi). Each room has comforts as lcd tv, satellite decoder, minibar, air conditioning. Private parking, barbecue and gazebo available. Swimming pool will be open at night hour also. Offered service is bed and breakfast (continental buffet). €100-150.
- 🌍 Fonte Martino Guest House & Estate, Via di Valardegna 8 (5-minute drive from the center), ☎ +39 3291567491, e-mail: info@fontemartino.com. Check-in: 3pm, check-out: 11am. Panoramic views of historic Montepulciano and the Valdichiana. Each unique suite is designed with modern, elegant, and rustic elements, blended into the rooms of the three towns after which they are named – Montepulciano, Siena, and Cortona. €279-299.