Certain sights in Tuscany become famous and end up photographed endlessly due to the fact that the various elements of the surroundings and a building or town or natural feature come together perfectly to create something utterly picturesque. There are a few notable examples of this but, among them, the Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Biagio (or Tempio di San Biagio) is one of the most strikingly lovely. This pretty 16th century domed church is located in the lush countryside near Montepulciano, an area already impossibly charming in its own right but when you add this elegant building emerging as if from nowhere, at the end of a typically Tuscan cypress-lined road, the overall effect is breath-taking. For those who book a villa in Montepulciano and who are looking to get out and explore the natural and scenic beauty of the surrounding landscape, a stop by this church is a must!
Considered one of the great architectural masterpieces of the Renaissance, this important and influential building was created between 1518 and 1584, according to the designs of Antonio da Sangallo the Elder and continued after his death under the supervision of other masons. Built over the site of an ancient parish church in a flat meadow where the Val D’Orcia and Val di Chiana meet, just outside the centre of Montepulciano, it is a truly extraordinarily beautiful spot for a house of worship.
Dedicated to the Madonna and then later to San Biagio, an Armenian saint famous for healing, the church is built on a Greek cross plan with its iconic central dome rising over top through clear days and misty mornings in this bucolic part of the world. In the semicircular apse, you will find the sacristy and there are two bell towers over the main façade, though only the one on the left was completed. Slabs of travertine adorn both the exterior and interior, primarily giving the building an amber hue but changing shades with the shifting light throughout the day. All of this grandeur and impeccably-crafted man-made beauty only adds to the striking elegance of the building as it rises from the pastoral loveliness of the natural surroundings.
Inside, the church continues to impress with solemn elegance and a lack of extraneous adornment. Behind the main altar are marble reredos by Giannozzo and Lisandro di Pietro Albertini. The niches are occupied by statues of Saint John the Baptist, Saint Catherine of Siena, Saint Agnes, and Saint George by Ottaviano Lazzarini. Between the reredos is a fresco of the Madonna and Child with Saint Francis attributed to the Maestro di Badia a Isola. There are also frescoes of the Four Kings of Israel in the lunette and of the stories of the Virgin, including the Transit, Assumption, the Coronation in the vaulted arch of the main chapel by Angelo Righi. The stained glass depicting the allegory of the Conception of the Virgin, meanwhile, was created by Michelangelo Urbani da Cortona.
To visit the church, you could attend mass at 10.30am on a Sunday or Holiday or you can pay €5 to enter and explore more thoroughly during their opening hours, with free audio guides in Italian, English, French, German, and Spanish also available. Children under six and disabled guests are granted free entry.
Strikingly lovely and utterly impressive, this gem of a church is definitely worth visiting if you have found a vacation rental in Montepulciano or if you have booked a holiday rental in Tuscany and are on a day-trip to sample the area’s famous wine and explore the picturesque town of Montepulciano during your vacation.
