Montepulciano

The city a very particular configuration: it is constructed along a geological ridge running down from the highest point. Today we find an extremely long main street (about 11 and 1/2 Km) leading from the Porta al Prato through a 60 drop to the Piazza Grande. The houses are organised around this main street ina series of perpendicular short, narrow lanes- often extremely steep. The most important buildings are practically all on the main street, presenting a long procession of facades, almost an "exhibition"of high level architectural design. There have been tho mai periods of architectural significance in Montepulciano, the XVI Century, and those years bridging the XVII and XVIII Centuries. During the XVI Century the urban development is pratically completed and it was only the nobility who carried out projects for new frontages to boost their personal prestige. The costruction outside the gates of the imposing "Temple of San Biagio,...