Montepulciano

Due to its noble aspect of past civilization, Montepulciano has a legend-story. In fact, the town is told to originate from the noble who withdrew from Chiusi during the first barbaric invasions. They dewlled this splendid hill which had the name "Mons Politus e Polictus", as to say the Mount of the Noble. Common people of Chiusi went to Città dell Pieve which, as a result, took the name "Civitas Plebis". The more important version is that Larte Porsena, the lucumon of Chiusi (Charmas) founded the village or that it was built after an hypothetical destruction of Chiusi in the times of Papiro Carbone and Silla.

On the Poliziano hill, there was a temple dedicated to Mercury which gave it the name of Mons Mercurius. Many Etruscan remains witness that its outskirts have been dwelled since that period. However, according to some scholars, the fact that the temple which was set up where there is the present Fortress and which was dedicated to St. Donatus in 361 does not imply that this place was dwelled in the Roman period. Perhaps not before the VI Century people from Chiusi put to flight by barbaric invasions went here. Their first area dwelled was Collazzi. Evidence of this town appeared for the first time in a document of 715 where it is clearly named as "Mons Politianus". Montepulciano was given the title of "imperial town" by Otto I. It was always contented by Florence, Siena, Perugia and Orvieto, even if this town enjoys indipendence and autonomy.

But the inhabitants did not like Siena which was alwaya their enemy; in 1202 they swore fidelity to Florence. With Florence they were won at Montaperti; whereas under the domination of Siena the present Fortress called as "Castrum Politianum" was built. In 1266, Montepulciano put itself under the protection of Carlo I d' Angiò to throw off the yoke of Siena. In 1287 even Montepulciano was among the towns Florence wanted to be part of the Guelph "taglia" together with Lucca, Arezzo and Chiusi.

In 1358, always enemy of Siena,Montepulciano formed an alliance with Perugia and won the Siena army; after many vicissitudes, in 1511 passed to Florence definitively. While Montalcino, Radicofani, Buonconvento and Pienza were on the point of defending Siena's freedom against the Medicis' domination, Montepulciano was named by Cosmo I Medici "noble town". Montepulciano could not tolerate Siena's domination because it felt at the same level as Siena for culture, power and civilization.

This town was the birthplace of Angelo Ambrogini called as Poliziano, a great poet of the Medicis'court and in the Renaissance period; St. Robert Bellarmino who was one of Galileo's friends and was charged to tell him his conviction; Pope Marcellus II and other Popes.

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