2 hours - Private Walking Tour in Montepulciano

Torre del Pulcinella

The legend of the Pulcinella Tower in Montepulciano has it that this was brought here by a bishop of Neapolitan origins, but since there was no figure of this type in the history of the village, more likely it was a priest. In 1524, in fact, a statue inspired by the "Mangia" of Siena was placed on the clock tower of Montepulciano with the task of marking the hours, but due to the deterioration suffered by the same, already in 1680 there was a first restoration and, on that occasion, presumably on the proposal of the priest (or in any case of a benefactor) of Naples, the automaton was covered with the colors of Pulcinella. According to some, however, this character was chosen as a tribute to the Theater.

Montepulciano

Next to the Clock Tower is the white facade of the church of Sant’Agostino, of which the tower is part. Built earlier than this (in 1285), the church was renovated by Michelozzo himself in the sixteenth century and combines the neoclassical style of the Renaissance with the Gothic of the Middle Ages. Its front staircase has become, over time, a meeting point for many residents of Montepulciano.

coffees spread throughout the cities, and with the progress of bourgeois life they become more and more elegant and refined: even in the "minor" towns they take hold (we mention for all the beautiful Caffè dei Costanti in Arezzo, still today the meeting place of “chic” youth) and of course Montepulciano is no exception. There is very little documentation found so far on the "coffee" in Montepulciano and this does not allow us to speak about it with full knowledge of the facts. The habit of sipping the drink in company (and not only that, of course) had long been well known to the police. Already at the time of the construction of the first Academic Theater in the Town Hall (1759), a space was provided for the coffee and the "diacciatine", ie sorbets, cool drinks, etc., which were served on the occasion of theatrical performances.