MONTEPULCIANO
Wine connoisseurs in search of the perfect Vino Nobile make their way to this charming hill-top town with the reverent air of pilgrims. With easy access to the superb - almost lunar - scenary of the clay hills of the Crete Senesi, the delightful Renaissance city of Pienza, the Romanesque Abbey of Sant'Antimo - where still can be heard the Gregorian chants of the Benedictine monks - the gorgeous frescoes of Sodoma and Signorelli at Monte Oliveto and the wine village of Montalcino - home of renowned Brunello - Montepulciano makes a convenient base. Despite great highway connections and easy driving conditions, this delightful walled town still preserves an off-the-beaten-track feel. Less touristic than many of the other art towns in the region, visitors to Montepulciano gain a truer picture of authentic Italian life.
