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Montepulciano: Wine; initial investigation |
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written
by Megan Brewster / 07.04.2004 |
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Site Location |
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Montepulciano is in the Tuscany area, a region well-known for its red wines. The city is elevated 600m above sea level (the highest of Tuscany’s hill towns) on a narrow limestone ridge and is surrounded by walls and fortifications built by the well-known architect, Antonio da Sangallo the Elder.
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Site History |
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Montepulciano was supposedly founded asa summer residence for the Etruscan Kings of Rome, more specifically Lars Posenna. The town name is derived from the latin phrase “mons politianus,” meaning either a lofty location perfect for police garrison, or simply urban mountain. Much of Montepulciano’s architecture was lost during battles over its ownership between Seina and Florence. However, in 1511, the famous Italian architect Antonio da Sangallo the Elder contributed his expertise to the rebuilding and urban planning of the city, producing many renowned structures. Again, we see the motif of Italy as the winning loser, as mentioned in Ted Polhemus’s article, “An Imagined Italy”: “So how did a country of unstylish loser become, within a very few years of defeat, to be seen as a nation of stylish winners worthy of international emulation?” (p.58). (In this case, the nation of Italy is played by the city Montepulciano.)
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Elements of Interest |
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Montepulciano is most famous for its red wines and renaissance-styled architecture (see Montepulciano’s history for more details). The vino Nobile di Montepulciano wines have been raved about since 789 AD, when minor clerk Arnipert gave Sans Silvestro church (on Amiata Mount) a strip of land for vinyard within the castle of Policiano. In fact, the wines are so famous that they appeared in the final line of Francesco Redi’s dithyrambic ode “Bacchus in Tuscany” (1685): “Montepulciano is the king of all wines!” Redi was a renowned doctor, naturalist, and poet in Italy during the 17th century. His British Majesty’s winemaker criticized the famous wine in 1873 with reference to Redi’s poem: “Mediocre enough to raise a few doubts about Redi’s praise,” causing a stir in sales and status; however, the wine has regained their eminent reputation.
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Analyze Image |
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| Montepulciano |
| Montepulciano |
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This image shows Montepulciano as described: on top of a large hill with beautiful buildings and surroundings. However, what cannot be seen in this image are the vineyards and the narrow limestone ridge upon which the city was built.
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Site Questions |
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1) What type of grape is most commonly grown in Montepulciano and why?
2) Who currently owns control of the city: Siena or Florence?
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