citta della pieve,
Montepulciano,
and san quirico d'orcia

citta della pieve, montepulciano, and san quirico d'orcia are all very small towns, founded in the middle ages on hilltops. even though all were fortified with castles and town walls, to preserve their independence as towns, all were eventually taken over by larger neighbors, a typical pattern for italy at the end of the middle ages. nowadays the towns are known primarily for their local wines.

small religious shrines built into the exterior walls of homes like these ones at citta della pieve are found throughout umbria and tuscany.

montepulciano's cathedral at the center of town is quite plain: built in the middle ages, the townspeople never raised enough money to cover the facade of the church with marble and mosaics, so it remained undecorated stone.

across from the cathedral, montepulciano's main square or piazza.

the medieval town hall in montepulciano is also a fortress, built in imitation of the larger but similar structure in siena.

an opening in the medieval town walls at montepulciano, now decorated with a religious mosaic, leads into a public park.

looking out from montepulciano to the valley beyond.

the gate in the medieval town walls at san quirico d'orcia.

the medieval church at san quirico d'orcia, dating from the 11th century a.d. (the town was situated on the major pilgrimage route from western europe to rome.) Details from this church follow.