tuscany villa accommodation - Holiday Villas in Montepulciano, Italy

MONTEPULCIANO: A TASTE OF RENAISSANCE ITALY
Montepulciano, a town and commune in the province of Siena in southern Tuscany, is a medieval and Renaissance hill town of exceptional beauty. At an elevation of 605 m, Montepulciano sits on a high limestone ridge. By car it is 13 km east of Pienza; 67 km southeast of Siena; 124 km southeast of Florence; and 186 km north of Rome. Its easy accessibility is one of the reasons that it has become a popular tourist destination. Montepulciano’s varied and high-quality accommodation facilities have also contributed.

Montepulciano is known as a major producer of food and drink. Sommeliers consider its Vino Nobile among Italy’s best wines. Montepulciano is also known for its pork, cheese, pici pasta (a thick, chewy variant of spaghetti), lentils, and honey.

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 city is renowned for its car-free nature and its main landmarks include Communal Palace, Palazzo Tarugi, the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, or the Duomo of Montepulciano, built between 1594 and 1680, which includes a masterpiece from the Sienese School, the Assumption of the Virgin triptych painted by Taddeo di Bartolo in 1401.

Yet another attraction is the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie (late 16th century). It has a simple Mannerist façade with a three-arcade portico. The interior boasts a terracotta altar by Andrea della Robbia. You should also visit the Sanctuary of the Madonna of St. Blaise, on the road to Chianciano outside the city. It is a typical 16th century Tuscan building, designed between 1518 and 1545, with a large dome over a terrace and a squared tambour. The exterior, with two bell towers, is built in white travertine. The walls of the city were designed and built under the direction of Grand Duke Cosimo de Medici in 1511.

Montepulciano celebrates several traditional events and is considered an important cultural and tourist centre. Between July and August, Piazza Grande becomes a stage for concerts and for the Cantiere Internazionale d’Arte (International Arts Workshop), while the Bravio delle Botti takes place at the end of August, featuring a competition between the different districts of the town, where empty wine barrels are rolled up through the town in a race to Piazza Grande.

To make your visit comfortable, we offer a comprehensive selection (www.yourwaytotuscany.com/Montepulciano.htm) of Montepulciano farmhouses, bed & breakfasts, hotels and vacation apartments, and offer you a variety of agritourism experiences. Do visit us before you plan your trip.

TUSCANY VILLAS: YOUR HOME AWAY FROM HOME

Tuscany is justly famous for its wine, food, warm and hospitable people, and dazzling natural beauty. However, in our opinion, Tuscany should also be celebrated for its beautiful villas, because the Tuscan countryside is dotted with some of the most superb villas dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries, and almost all of them are perfectly preserved, so that they can still be inhabited with ease. And guess what? We would like to invite you to stay in one of Tuscany's independent villas, which we have carefully selected for the discerning tourist. We can guarantee you every home comfort that you can ask for, in the luxurious and elegant atmosphere of these beautiful villas.

Without exception, the independent villas of Tuscany that we have chosen for you are located amidst some wonderful natural scenery. Take the Villa Ginestra, situated near the top of a hill in the Tuscan countryside, delighting guests with a magnificent view of the city of Florence. Also within view is the tiny village of Cercina. On a nearby hilltop, you can see the ruins of a great house that once belonged to a medieval bishop. The scenery is, in a word, magnificent. At Villa Ginestra, you will enjoy the best Italy has to offer – the timeless beauty of Tuscany’s rural countryside, and quick and easy access to Florence.

An orchard of half-century-old olive trees surrounds Villa Ginestra, providing visitors with a crown of green and silver. To the west is the still deeper green of a forested mountain, webbed with well-marked trails for the adventurous hiker. To the east is a superb view of the medieval town of Fiesole.

And that is just one example of what we can offer you. There are numerous independent villas in Tuscany that find place on our list, spread all across this beautiful region of Italy. Can you actually imagine staying in a place called the Villa Buonaparte? Well, we have it on our list too, and it is situated on San Miniato’s hills, about five km from San Miniato. It is a 16th-century building, carefully renovated and maintained to remind you of the charms of medieval Italy.

As we keep saying, these are mere samples. For a detailed list of independent villas in Tuscany, come to us and we’ll take you on a free and infinitely rewarding tour!

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