Due to its strategic position overlooking the Val d’Orcia on one side, and the Val di Chiana on the other, the town was constantly being fought over by the Florentines and the Sienese. Over the centuries, however, Montepulciano changed hands several times; this flip-flopping of ownership is the reason for the town’s artistic riches, as each ruler sought to out-do the last. The final reversal in ownership happened in 1511, when Montepulciano once again came under the jurisdiction of the Florentines. Florence’s influence on the town is obvious in the style of Montepulciano’s palazzi, which bears the symbols of Florence: the giglio—or Florentine lily—and the marzocco, the heraldic lion. Today, the town is most famous for its wine: vino nòbile di Montepulciano. Described as the “king of all wines” by a 17thC poet, it was one of the first with an origin guaranteed by the Italian government.
Montepulciano
