Things to Do in Montepulciano, Italy: Walking Guide

Montepulciano is a historic hill town in Tuscany, known for its medieval origins, Renaissance architecture and important churches. The best things to do in Montepulciano include exploring Piazza Grande, visiting its palaces and museums, and walking beyond the historic center to see San Biagio. Neywo has a free audio guide for Montepulciano with 29 narrated places.

What to See in Montepulciano

Fortezza Medicea

The Fortezza Medicea is a fortress with military origins that connect Montepulciano to its medieval past. It was erected in 1261 by the Republic of Siena as a military building. Its imposing presence makes it a natural starting point for understanding the town’s defensive history.

Piazza Grande and its historic palaces

Piazza Grande is the central historic square of Montepulciano and brings together several of the town’s most notable buildings. Along its eastern side stands Palazzo Contucci, also known as Contucci Palace.

The square is also home to Palazzo del Capitano, a building whose name reflects the civic and political history associated with Montepulciano. Palazzo Nobili-Tarugi adds an aristocratic element to the setting, offering a glimpse of the town’s noble heritage.

Cathedral of Montepulciano

The Cathedral of Montepulciano, or Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, is the town’s principal Catholic place of worship. It belongs to the Diocese of Montepulciano, Chiusi, and Pienza and stands among the important buildings around Piazza Grande.

Its position in the square makes it part of the concentrated historic and religious character of Montepulciano’s center.

Museo Civico di Montepulciano

The Museo Civico di Montepulciano is housed in Palazzo Neri Orselli, a fourteenth-century palace. The museum has been based there since 1957 and is also known as the Museo Civico e Pinacoteca Crociani.

The setting is part of the experience: the collections are presented inside a historic building that contributes to the story of the town. Another related site is Palazzo Ricci, home to the European Academy of Palazzo Ricci, known in German as the Europäische Akademie für Musik und Darstellende Kunst.

Chiesa del Gesù

The Chiesa del Gesù, also called the Church of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, is another place of worship in Montepulciano. Like the cathedral, it belongs to the Diocese of Montepulciano, Chiusi, and Pienza.

Sant’Agostino

The Church of Sant’Agostino, or Chiesa di Sant’Agostino, is a church in Montepulciano in the province of Siena. It is part of the Diocese of Montepulciano, Chiusi, and Pienza and adds another religious landmark to a walk through the town.

Santa Lucia

Santa Lucia, also known as the Church of Santa Lucia, is one of the churches found in Montepulciano. Its location within the province of Siena and the Diocese of Montepulciano-Chiusi-Pienza makes it part of the town’s wider religious heritage.

San Martino

San Martino, or Chiesa di San Martino, is a quieter church building to notice while exploring Montepulciano. It offers a more understated point of interest among the town’s historic streets and religious sites.

San Biagio

Beyond Montepulciano’s historic center stands San Biagio, also known as the Temple of San Biagio. The church was designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Elder and is regarded as an example of sixteenth-century Tuscan Renaissance architecture.

Its isolated setting allows the building to be seen as a complete architectural work. The monumental church is one of the area’s notable landmarks and an important stop for anyone interested in Renaissance architecture.

More churches and local places around Montepulciano

The wider area includes several additional churches connected with Montepulciano and its surrounding communities.

• The Chiesa di Cervognano is located in Cervognano Montenero, in the area of Montepulciano.
• The Church of Martiena, also known as chiesa di Martiena, is another church building in Montepulciano.
• San Vittorino, or the Church of San Vittorino and the Most Holy Conception, is in Acquaviva.
• Sacro Cuore, the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, is the principal Catholic place of worship in Montepulciano Stazione. Built in 1920, it includes a theater that was once used as a parish cinema. The theater was restored in several stages, including work between 1992 and 1994, with further improvements in 1998 and 2003.

These places show that Montepulciano’s religious heritage extends beyond the principal buildings of the historic center.

Take a self-guided walking tour of Montepulciano

A Montepulciano self-guided walking tour is a practical way to connect the town’s main landmarks in sequence. The historic center brings together palaces, churches, the civic museum and Piazza Grande, while the route to San Biagio adds an important Renaissance monument beyond the center.

Neywo offers one walking tour in Montepulciano: “Up the Hill to Piazza Grande, Down to Sangallo’s Temple.” It covers 1.56 km in approximately 82 minutes and includes 12 narrated stops, including Santa Lucia, the Museo Civico e Pinacoteca Crociani, Palazzo del Capitano, Palazzo Contucci, Palazzo Nobili-Tarugi, Piazza Grande, the Cathedral, the Fortezza Medicea and San Biagio.

There is also one bus route: “Montepulciano’s Hill Shuttle: Bus Station to Piazza Grande.” The route covers 2 km in 9 minutes and includes four narrated stops: Sant’Agnese, Sant’Agostino, Fortezza Medicea and Palazzo del Capitano.

Explore Montepulciano with Neywo

Download Neywo to explore Montepulciano with one walking tour and one bus route, covering 3.56 km in total, with 16 narrated stops across the two routes. The app tells the story of each place as you reach it, at your own pace, with no group and no schedule. Narration is available in 11 languages.

Montepulciano is also a useful base for discovering more of Italy and nearby Tuscan destinations such as Pienza.