The Cathedral of Montepulciano

The Cathedral was built on the place of the ancient Saint Mary Parish, quoted in an official document of 715.

In XII-th century the building of Saint Mary Parish was modified and at the end of sixteenth century it was demolished in order to be replaced by the actual building.

The facade of the Cathedral, preceded by a large staircase, shows three portal and windows. By the left side of the building rises a fifteenth-century belfry, belonging to the ancient parish.

The interior is on the plant of a Latin cross with three aisles divided by pillars.

Remarkable is the dome placed at the crossing of the arms.

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In the sides of the internal facade it is possible to admire a statue portraying the literary man Bartolomeo Aragazzi and two bass-relieves portraying some holy pictures belonging to a sepulchre lost during XVII-th century and finally a monument entitled to the bishop Francesco Piendibeni.

Inside the Cathedral it is possible to admire several chapels that save a fourteenth-century baptismal font by Giovanni di Agostino, a glazed earthenware-made polyptych by Andrea della Robbia (1435-1525) portraying the "Annunciation and Saints" and also several frescoes among them a Saint Sebastiano painted by Andrea del Sarto (1486-1530) and "Our Lady with the Child" by Sano di Pietro (1406-1481).

Very interesting are the statues placed inside the chapels as the two ones portraying Saint Peter and Saint John made by Tino di Camaino (1285-1336).

On the main altar it is possible to admire a triptych painted in 1401 by Taddeo di Bartolo (1362-1422).