Town of Montepulciano, Italy

Montepulciano is one of the most attractive hills towns in the province of Siena, in Tuscany. It is built on a ridge of Monte Poliziano, at an altitude of 605m.

It was certainly populated in the Etruscan period, as demonstrated by recent discoveries of building materials dating back to the 3rd and 2nd centuries B.C. on the hilltops. Local legend claims the presence of a villa on this site, owned by King Porsenna. In the Middle Ages it was under the control of Florence, but was conquered by Siena in 1260.

The city has a very particular configuration: it is constructed along a geological ridge running down from the highest point. Today we find an extremely long main street (about 1,5 Km) leading from Porta al Prato to Piazza Grande. The houses are organized around this main street in a series of perpendicular short, narrow lanes - often extremely steep. The most important buildings are practically all on the main street, presenting a long procession of facades, almost an "exhibition" of high level architectural design.

Montepulciano is famous throughout the world, but not only for its natural and architectural beauty: the city is synonymous with the product that bears its name. The vino Nobile is the first wine in Italy to bear the DOCG seal of quality, but its qualities have been recognised since more remote times. As Francesco Redi wrote in 1685, “of all wines, Montepulciano is King”. The Vino Nobile has been a constant throughout the years: from the wine of popes and nobles, today it has become a product appreciated by wine lovers around the world.