Comune di Montepulciano
Municipal coat of arms
Country	Italy
Region	Tuscany
Province	Siena (SI)
Mayor	Massimo Della Giovampaola (from June 2004)
Elevation	605 m
Area	165 km²
Population
- Total (as of December 31, 2004)	14,107
- Density	84/km²
Time zone	CET, UTC+1
Coordinates	43°06′N 11°47′E
Gentilic	Poliziani
Dialing code	0578
Postal code	53045
Frazioni	Abbadia, Acquaviva, Gracciano, Montepulciano Stazione, Valiano, Sant'Albino
Website: comune.montepulciano.si.it

Montepulciano is a town and commune in the province of Siena, in Central Tuscany (Italy) on a high limestone ridge. Placed high on top of a hill, Montepulciano is 605 m (around 2000 ft) above sea level. By car it is 13 km (8 miles) E of Pienza; 67 km (40 miles) SE of Siena; 124 km (74 miles) SE of Florence; 186 km (115 miles) N of Rome. Image File history File links Montepulciano-Stemma. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... The Regions of Italy were granted a degree of regional autonomy in the 1948 constitution, which states that the constitutions role is: to recognize, protect and promote local autonomy, to ensure that services at the State level are as decentralized as possible, and to adapt the principles and laws... A poppy field in Tuscany. ... In Italy, the province (in Italian: provincia) is an administrative division of an intermediate level, between municipality (comune) and region (Regione). ... Siena (Italian: Provincia di Siena) is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 31 is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Time zones of Europe: Light colours indicate countries not observing daylight saving Central European Time (CET) is one of the names of the time zone that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. ... Central European Time West Africa Time British Summer Time* Irish Summer Time* Western European Summer Time* Category: ... A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a people or the inhabitants of a place. ... Here are a list of area codes in Italy. ... A frazione, in Italy, is the name given in administrative law to a type of territorial subdivision of a comune; for other subdivisions, see municipio, circoscrizione, quartiere. ... Siena (Italian: Provincia di Siena) is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. ... A poppy field in Tuscany. ... Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. ... Florences skyline Florences skyline at night from Piazza Michaelangelo Florence (Italian: ) is the capital city of the region of Tuscany, Italy. ... Nickname: The Eternal City Motto: SPQR: Senatus PopulusQue Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC Mayor Walter Veltroni Area    - City 1,285 km²  (496. ...

Montepulciano is a major producer of food and drink. Its wines (especially the famous Vino Nobile) are drunk throughout the world, and it also sells pork products, cheese, "pici" pasta (a thick, rough, chewy variant on spaghetti) and honey. Vino Noble di Montepulciano is a red wine produced in the vineyards surrounding the town of Montepulciano, Italy. ...

History

Main sights

The main street of Montepulciano stretches for 11.5 kilometers from the Porta al Prato to the Piazza Grande at the top of the hill. The main landmarks include:

• The Communal Palace
• Palazzo Tarugi
• The church of Santa Maria delle Grazie (late 16th century). It has a simple Mannerist façade with a three-arcade portico. The interior has a single nave, and houses a precious terracotta altar by Andrea della Robbia.
• The Sanctuary of the Madonna of St. Blaise, on the road to Chianciano outside the city. It is a typical 16th century Tuscan edifice, designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger on a pre-existing Pieve, between 1518 and 1545. It has a circular (central) plan with a large dome over a terrace and a squared tambour. The exterior, with two bell towers, is built in white travertine.

Town view of Montepulciano.

Communal Palace.

The Sanctuary of St. Blaise.

The walls of the city were designed and built under the direction of Grand Duke Cosimo I de' Medici in 1511 by Antonio da Sangallo the Elder. Madonna with Child and Angels. ... Antonio da Sangallo the Younger (or Antonio Cordiani) (April 12, 1484 - August 3, 1546) was a Florentine architect active during the Italian Renaissance. ... Events A plague of tropical fire ants devastates crops on Hispaniola. ... Events February 27 - Battle of Ancrum Moor - Scots victory over superior English forces December 13 - Official opening of the Council of Trent (closed 1563) Battle of Kawagoe - between two branches of Uesugi families and the late Hojo clan in Japan. ... In classical architecture, a tambour (Fr. ... Travertine A carving in travertine The rock travertine is a natural chemical precipitate of carbonate minerals; typically aragonite, but often recrystallized to or primary calcite; which is deposited from the water of mineral springs (especially hot springs) or streams saturated with calcium carbonate. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1024x768, 498 KB) Photographer: giantrobot Title: Montalcino, Toscana, Italy Taken on: 2005-04-16 Original source: Flickr. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1024x768, 498 KB) Photographer: giantrobot Title: Montalcino, Toscana, Italy Taken on: 2005-04-16 Original source: Flickr. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (437x640, 152 KB) Palazzo Communale in Montepulciano. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (437x640, 152 KB) Palazzo Communale in Montepulciano. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (607x640, 191 KB) San Biagio in Montepulciano. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (607x640, 191 KB) San Biagio in Montepulciano. ... Cosimo I de Medici in Armour by Agnolo Bronzino Cosimo I de Medici (June 12, 1519 – April 21, 1574) was the first Grand Duke of Tuscany, ruling from 1537 to 1574, during the waning days of the Renaissance. ... Antonio da Sangallo the Elder (c. ...

Famous citizens

• Roberto Bellarmino, a Roman Catholic Saint, Cardinal, and Doctor of the Church was born here on October 4, 1542. He is one of the 33 Doctors of the Roman Catholic Church and was active in the Counter-Reformation.
• Agnes of Montepulciano, a Roman Catholic Saint.
• The Florentine classical scholar and poet, as well as one of the revivers of Humanist Latin, Angelo Poliziano was born in Montepulciano on July 14, 1454.

Roberto Francesco Romolo Bellarmino (Saint Robert Bellarmine), a Saint of the Roman Catholic Church and a controversialist, was born at Montepulciano (35 km s. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... In traditional Christian iconography, Saints are usually depicted as having halos. ... A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official in the Roman Catholic Church, a member of the College of Cardinals, ranking below the Pope and appointed by him during a consistory of the College. ... In Catholicism, a Doctor of the Church (Lat. ... October 4 is the 277th day of the year (278th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events War resumes between Francis I of France and Emperor Charles V. This time Henry VIII of England is allied to the Emperor, while James V of Scotland and Sultan Suleiman I are allied to the French. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... The Counter-Reformation or the Catholic Reformation was a strong reaffirmation of the doctrine and structure of the Catholic Church, climaxing at the Council of Trent, partly in reaction to the growth of Protestantism. ... St. ... By Region: Italian Renaissance Northern Renaissance -French Renaissance -German Renaissance -English Renaissance The Renaissance was a great cultural movement which brought about a period of scientific revolution and artistic transformation, at the dawn of modern European history. ... Classics, particularly within the Western University tradition, when used as a singular noun, means the study of the language, literature, history, art, and other aspects of Greek and Roman culture during the time frame known as classical antiquity. ... A poet is someone who writes poetry. ... Humanist Latin is a name given to the distinctive Latin style developed by the humanist movement during the European Renaissance in the fifteenth century. ... Angelo Poliziano. ... July 14 is the 195th day (196th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 170 days remaining. ... Events February 4 - In the Thirteen Years War, the Secret Council of the Prussian Confederacy sends a formal act of disobedience to the Grand Master. ...

External links

• Official site
• History and architecture of Montepulciano
• Media on Montepulciano in the Wikicommons.

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... The Wikimedia Commons (also called Commons or Wikicommons) is a repository of free images, sound and other multimedia files. ...

Tuscany · Communes of the province of Siena

Abbadia San Salvatore | Asciano | Buonconvento | Casole d'Elsa | Castellina in Chianti | Castelnuovo Berardenga | Castiglione d'Orcia | Cetona | Chianciano Terme | Chiusdino | Chiusi | Colle di Val d'Elsa | Gaiole in Chianti | Montalcino | Montepulciano | Monteriggioni | Monteroni d'Arbia | Monticiano | Murlo | Piancastagnaio | Pienza | Poggibonsi | Radda in Chianti | Radicofani | Radicondoli | Rapolano Terme | San Casciano dei Bagni | San Gimignano | San Giovanni d'Asso | San Quirico d'Orcia | Sarteano | Siena | Sinalunga | Sovicille | Torrita di Siena | Trequanda