Centro storico
Centro storico
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
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4.5
122 reviews
Excellent
74
Very good
38
Average
8
Poor
0
Terrible
2
Mairwen1
United Kingdom11,166 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
Montepulciano is a very beautiful, hill-top town, lined with medieval and Renaissance buildings. This was our third time in Montepulciano, so obviously we love it.
The local wines and the town’s old-world charm keep us coming back.
We had two nights here but we arrived late the first night so that effectively gave us 1 1/2 days. This was plenty of time to sample wines, tour wineries and explore the town at a leisurely pace.
It’s only a small town and is almost entirely car-free so it’s very easy to get around on foot. Nearly all the main sights are within easy walking distance of each other.
Piazza Grande is an excellent starting point to explore the town. It’s regularly listed as one of Italy’s most beautiful small-town piazzas. Several of Montepulciano’s most significant buildings are located here, Palazzo Contucci, Palazzo Communale and the 16th century cathedral.
From the piazza, we wandered downhill through the corso which stretches from one end of town to the other. It’s lined with interesting small shops and historic sights like the Caffe Poliziano, the Church of St Augustine, Pulcinello Tower, Palazzo Bucelli, and the Porta al Prato gateway. It’s a lovely walk but its worth noting that the walk back uphill is reasonably steep.
The highlight of this trip was discovering Ercolani Cantine. They offer free wine-tasting and tours of their underground cellars, a complex network of ancient tunnels and chambers. The tour was fascinating. We were led down through a maze of passages with secret exits. There were massive wine barrels with aging vino nobile, crypts, a 4th century BC Etruscan tomb and, unexpectedly, a medieval torture chamber complete with instruments.
NOTE: Montepulciano would be difficult to visit without a car but having said that, most of the town is a ZTL zone and there are large fines for driving into these areas. Those on a day trip should park outside the city walls and walk in. If, like us, you are staying overnight, then make sure to find out what parking arrangements your hotel has. We stayed at Hotel Meuble Evoe and they had free reserved spots in a parking station. They also sent us driving instructions before we arrived which turned out to be incredibly helpful because GPS directions are very unreliable here.
The local wines and the town’s old-world charm keep us coming back.
We had two nights here but we arrived late the first night so that effectively gave us 1 1/2 days. This was plenty of time to sample wines, tour wineries and explore the town at a leisurely pace.
It’s only a small town and is almost entirely car-free so it’s very easy to get around on foot. Nearly all the main sights are within easy walking distance of each other.
Piazza Grande is an excellent starting point to explore the town. It’s regularly listed as one of Italy’s most beautiful small-town piazzas. Several of Montepulciano’s most significant buildings are located here, Palazzo Contucci, Palazzo Communale and the 16th century cathedral.
From the piazza, we wandered downhill through the corso which stretches from one end of town to the other. It’s lined with interesting small shops and historic sights like the Caffe Poliziano, the Church of St Augustine, Pulcinello Tower, Palazzo Bucelli, and the Porta al Prato gateway. It’s a lovely walk but its worth noting that the walk back uphill is reasonably steep.
The highlight of this trip was discovering Ercolani Cantine. They offer free wine-tasting and tours of their underground cellars, a complex network of ancient tunnels and chambers. The tour was fascinating. We were led down through a maze of passages with secret exits. There were massive wine barrels with aging vino nobile, crypts, a 4th century BC Etruscan tomb and, unexpectedly, a medieval torture chamber complete with instruments.
NOTE: Montepulciano would be difficult to visit without a car but having said that, most of the town is a ZTL zone and there are large fines for driving into these areas. Those on a day trip should park outside the city walls and walk in. If, like us, you are staying overnight, then make sure to find out what parking arrangements your hotel has. We stayed at Hotel Meuble Evoe and they had free reserved spots in a parking station. They also sent us driving instructions before we arrived which turned out to be incredibly helpful because GPS directions are very unreliable here.
Written 23 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jake23
New Jersey6,847 contributions
Aug 2021
The historical center starts at the very top of Montepulciano and slowly works its way down. Stop and take pictures because there are some amazing views from here.
Written 6 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kroulak
Brno, Czech Republic4,160 contributions
Aug 2020 • Family
Very nice Tuscany historical town-if you have a small children with pram is better in parking place No.8 and walk from high bottom town down.
Written 5 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Been a few places
Epsom, UK1,073 contributions
Aug 2020
The Centro Storico of Montepulciano is charming with plenty of architecture to admire and bars or cellars to try the local wine. There is a lovely square, a fort and cathedral along with wine cellars. Located on top of a hill, you get some wonderful views of the Tuscan countryside. However, because the town is on top of a hill there are fairly steep roads to climb as you explore the town. There's not parking inside the Centro Storico so you can't avoid the climb (which is fine for most people but if you've got mobility problems or a buggy it could be a problem.
Written 27 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Heli K
Lappeenranta, Finland1,686 contributions
May 2019 • Friends
While in Tuscany and driving around you should visit Montepulciano. It is a small, well preserved Tuscan uphill town with a great wine culture. What made Montepulciano interesting to me was that unlike Pienza and San Gimignano it seemed to be people's home town, not just tourist town even though I am pretty sure the tourists keep also this town alive.
Even if there are not famous towers or actually any very famous buildings there can be found very well preserved old town as a whole. Also nice restaurants and interesting little local shops which can be found from the main street Porta Al Prato. The street is about 1.5 km long and it leads to charming Piazza Grande where time seems to stand still.
The main street goes uphill and it might be hard to walk for those not in such a good shape, but it is doable. Just walk slowly and have good shoes. Lot's of little alleys, wine cellars which you can visit, small churches, old palaces and the Piazza Grande with duomo, town hall and palaces is of course the cherry to Montepulciano's cake :) Also great views to Val d'Orcia countryside. At night time the town was so peaceful and quiet. I stayed the night at Contucci Palace and woke up very early so I also managed to see how people drove to work and took kids to school... And of course if your teens are Twighlight fans, Montepulciano is a must. It is also must if you like red wine - their Vino Nobile is the best.
Even if there are not famous towers or actually any very famous buildings there can be found very well preserved old town as a whole. Also nice restaurants and interesting little local shops which can be found from the main street Porta Al Prato. The street is about 1.5 km long and it leads to charming Piazza Grande where time seems to stand still.
The main street goes uphill and it might be hard to walk for those not in such a good shape, but it is doable. Just walk slowly and have good shoes. Lot's of little alleys, wine cellars which you can visit, small churches, old palaces and the Piazza Grande with duomo, town hall and palaces is of course the cherry to Montepulciano's cake :) Also great views to Val d'Orcia countryside. At night time the town was so peaceful and quiet. I stayed the night at Contucci Palace and woke up very early so I also managed to see how people drove to work and took kids to school... And of course if your teens are Twighlight fans, Montepulciano is a must. It is also must if you like red wine - their Vino Nobile is the best.
Written 31 May 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JFWhite
Moncton, Canada6,850 contributions
May 2024 • Couples
Very beautiful area, just walking the grounds of this beautiful fortress is very worth it. If you are passing by, i highly recommend this region.
Written 22 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ogi0
Sofia, Bulgaria22,826 contributions
Apr 2024 • Friends
The town is not bad, but it was packed with tourists. Not enough parking spaces and overall you can save yourself a visit here.
Written 9 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ucartech
Jakarta, Indonesia1,625 contributions
Dec 2018 • Family
Montepulciano centro storico is one of many well preserved in Tuscany region. All buildings and house is well lined up from the outer gate until the great piazza. From here we can also see Val D Orcia on clear day. Worth a visit if you are in Tuscany area. Find parking is a bit difficult during holiday season.
Written 6 April 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
beachbuddy10
Bridport, UK1,708 contributions
Sept 2018 • Couples
The Cathedrale di Santa Maria Assunta is worth a look, or sit in one of the cafes with a capuccino or beer and watch the world go by. If you fancy a view over the rooftops, you can climb to the viewing gallery on the town hall or for a few euros more, right uo to the tower.
Written 7 October 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
soulefultraveler
Sun City West, AZ1,883 contributions
May 2022
Be ready to hike up and down the streets. Rewarding shops and restaurants - and views, although views from Pienza are slightly more rewarding.
Written 29 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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