Dave & Meredith's Travel Blog

We spent one of our last days in Tuscany in Montepulciano, one of our favorite hill towns and it didn’t disappoint. The town is very picturesque, not as crowded as some others, offers tasting of local wines, and has plenty of side streets and back alleys to wander. It turned out that the town was preparing for a festival that night and, while sitting at a cafe on the main piazza, we witnessed a group rehearsing a routine that involved lots of drums plus carrying flags and then throwing them high in the air to other members of the group. A very cool thing to watch while we cooled down from the hot sun.

A view from Montepulciano over the surrounding countryside – a very typical view from a Tuscan hill town.

Meredith and me outside the Cantucci Cantine after tasting some wine. I recommend a visit with Adamo who has been making wine for over 50 years.

The group rehearsing their flag routine in the main piazza.

The group throws their flags in the air across the piazza.

More flag waving. 

More flag throwing.

Members of one of the local “contradas” emerging from their headquarters in the evening in full costume before heading up to the piazza for the main event.

— Dave