Vino Nobile, Renaissance palaces and cellars carved into the hill
Montepulciano stretches along a narrow limestone ridge between the Val d'Orcia and the Valdichiana, a long main street climbing steeply from the Porta al Prato to the top of the town. Its palaces were designed by the great architects of the Renaissance, Antonio da Sangallo the Elder and Michelozzo among them.
At the top, Piazza Grande gathers the Palazzo Comunale, whose tower offers views to Lake Trasimeno, the unfinished brick façade of the cathedral and the Pozzo dei Grifi e dei Leoni. Beneath the palaces runs a labyrinth of historic cellars where the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano ages, many open for tastings. Just outside the walls, Sangallo's church of San Biagio is a Renaissance masterpiece in golden travertine.
Tip: the climb up the main street, the Corso, is steep; take your time and stop at the cellars on the way. In late August the Bravìo delle Botti sees teams push wine barrels uphill.
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