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MONTEPULCIANO
The great poet Giosuč Carducci described Montepulciano as the "Pearl of the Sixteenth Century". The Renaissance’s most distinguished architects - including Antonio da Sangallo, Baldassare Peruzzi, and Vignola - made important contributions to the city’s rich and remarkable cultural heritage with their works. There are magnificent places of worship, including the San Biagio and Sant’Agostino churches and the Duomo cathedral, and dozens of beautiful Renaissance Palazzos: the Palazzo Tarugi, Palazzo Contucci, and Palazzo Avignonesi, among others, situated around the central Piazza Grande and along the main Corso, all contributing to making Montepulciano one of the most outstanding masterpieces of the Renaissance.
Montepulciano is also famous for its many cultural events, such as the "Cantiere Internazionale d’Arte" (theatre and classical music review, www.fondazionecantiere.it), the traditional “Bravěo delle Botti” barrel race and medieval pageant (www.braviodellebotti.com), and the “Bruscello” street theatre performances (www.bruscello.it).
Don’t miss the opportunity to visit the majestic wine cellars under the old town centre, and taste the famous Montepulciano Nobile wine.
FROM MONTEPULCIANO TO MONTALCINO
This area of Tuscany is famous for its abundance of cities of art, its exceptional wines (particularly the Brunello di Montalcino and the Nobile di Montepulciano), and the beauty of its landscapes.
Below is a list of enchanting small towns and villages, all within a 20 km radius of Montepulciano.
Visitors should make time to explore Monticchiello, Bagno Vignoni, with a town square that is a pool of hot sulphurous water, San Quirico d’Orcia, where guests can visit an exemplary formal Italian Renaissance garden, the Horti Leonini, and Montalcino, famous around the world for its exceptional wines.
PIENZA
This celebrated architectural jewel is just 10 km from Montepulciano. The entire town is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. Pienza stands on the site of the small medieval town of Corsignano, which took the name Pienza in the fifteenth century, when pope Pius II Piccolomini, who was born there, commissioned the great architect Rossellino to redesign the and rebuild the original town. Pienza became the world''''s primary example of the ideal Renaissance town. Guests can visit the Duomo, the Palazzo Piccolomini, Pope Pius II''''s Residence, the majestic Town Hall, and the Diocese Museum. Pienza looks out over the splendid panorama of the Val d''''Orcia, the renowned park.
CHIANCIANO
This spa centre is renowned for the curative waters of its many hot springs. Situated 550 metres above sea level, its fortunate position means that Chianciano enjoys a temperate climate, and it is a popular destination for visitors from all over the world. Chianciano Terme is a garden city, maintaining its central natural spa parks and public gardens, making it one of Europe''''s most important spa resorts.
RADICOFANI
This striking small town looks out over an unforgettable, endless panorama, taking in mount Amiata and the northern Apennines, the lakes of Bolsena and Trasimeno, the Val d''''Orcia and the Val di Chiana. The small town is situated on the lower slopes of a steep hill of volcanic basalt rock that rises up from the surrounding plains to 900 metres above sea level. The hill is crowned with an imposing fortress that has dominated the valley for centuries, controlling the strategic borderlands between Tuscany and Lazio.
Radicofani''''s origins date back to Etruscan times, and the site played an important role in overlooking the roads below on behalf of Desiderius, the last king of the Lombards. Over the following centuries Radicofani became part of the Papal State, before becoming part of the Republic of Siena and then of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. The imposing feudal castle fortress perched on the top of the hill, built in the Carolingian period, can be seen from miles around. From 1297 to 1300 it was the indomitable refuge of the Ghibelline "bandit" Ghino di Tacco, whose exploits were celebrated by Dante Alighieri (in Canto VI of his "Purgatory") and by Boccaccio in his "Decamerone".
After the fall of the Republic of Siena the fortress was the setting for the last, heroic resistance efforts, holding out against the Medici and the Spanish, until 17 August 1559, when the Republic of Siena, the last great hope of the Italian free city states, surrendered. The fortress was definitively abandoned in 1735 following an arson attack that caused gunpowder supplies to explode.
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