By Simone Bandini
It is called “I mestieri Artigiani Poliziani”, and it is the new project aimed at enhancing the artisan sector present in the Montepulciano area. Recognized all over the world, “Made in Italy” is synonymous with excellence in quality craftsmanship. In Montepulciano there have been many handicraft productions, stories of local productions that, handed down over time, have contributed to creating a real history of tradition and culture. Visiting the artisan workshops of Montepulciano is a bit like taking a journey through history: here, women and men adapt a thousand-year-old tradition to the contemporary, made up of specialized practices and techniques starting from the elements that mother nature has granted.
An always original way to put matter back at the centre, understood as the origin of all things; And at the centre it also puts man, who has learned to model the material for practical and aesthetic purposes, returning artifacts of the highest value and quality. “The Municipal Administration – underlines the mayor Michele Angiolini – intends to enhance this heritage by ‘bringing together’ and ‘mapping’ the heritage of knowledge of artisan production through a visibility that favours dialogue between producers and institutions and is, at the same time, easy to access for visitors who want to know something more about these excellences and our territory”.
“The ancient craft traditions of the city of Montepulciano are real treasure chests – adds the councillor for productive activities Monja Salvadori who coordinates the project. – Crafts, after all, are a fundamental component of cultural heritage and, at the same time, represent a dynamic reality in the local economic landscape. In addition to the artistic craftsmanship of excellence, in fact, Montepulciano boasts ancient traditions and craft activities that today risk being forgotten and therefore lost; real stories of ancient crafts to be rediscovered with a social value as well”.
The project is divided into short, medium and long-term communication and enhancement actions, with the direct involvement of artisans and will lead to the creation of a shared charter of values and the structuring of a tourist destination product linked to the sector. Other actions under study include activities with schools and students and laboratory activities. “A project born from the need to rediscover Poliziani’s crafts.
Throughout history, Montepulciano has had artisans who have been able to keep the economy of our territory alive: over the years society has changed, the demand of the territory itself has changed and generations have changed; So, faced with a real possibility of losing these trades, we decided to try to maintain and preserve them. The project stems from the need to maintain the authenticity of our crafts in our territory: a project strongly desired, not only by my department, but by the entire administration, and which we are pursuing. It is not intended to be a project that goes only in the direction of creating shops for the use and consumption of tourists, but also for the resident. And above all to create employment for the new generations who could, first rediscover and then devote themselves to trades that are part of our culture,” adds Councillor Salvadori.
The position on the hills of Montepulciano is unique. Its architectural heritage is extraordinary, with remote Etruscan and Roman origins, medieval development and Renaissance flourishing, and cultural heritage: in the Pinacoteca Crociani Civic Museum, together with archaeological finds, there are over two hundred authentic masterpieces including a portrait, recently attributed to Caravaggio. The landscape is exceptional, carefully guarded for generations, and the environmental quality; to this context belong the natural riches of the Montepulciano Lake Reserve and the spring waters of the Terme di Montepulciano, in Sant’Albino. Unique and unmistakable is the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG, the first Italian wine to have obtained the Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin, a fine red wine with great personality that enhances a food and wine tradition that is as deep-rooted as it is respectful of the seasonality of the individual elements.
A seasonality that can be fully enjoyed through the ‘Montepulciano Active’ trail network. Ten new ring routes, for a total of about 100 km, included in the Tuscan Hiking Network (RET), georeferenced and entirely signposted, which lap and cross many key points of the territory characterized by historical, architectural and naturalistic beauties, without making the hiker miss direct contact with what are the peculiar characteristics of Montepulciano, such as the lake, the lake the vineyards, olive groves and the “Polycultural Hilly Landscape of Montepulciano” which has recently obtained the recognition of Historic Rural Landscape, with the registration in the appropriate national register that belongs to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty.
A modern hiking network, themed ring routes differentiated by type of user (hikers, sportsmen, families, tourists) based on the network of historical and cultural paths, cycle paths, bridleways and trekking routes in the area such as the Via Lauretana Toscana (Siena – Cortona), the Etruscan Klanis routes, the ‘Bonifica’ Pedestrian Cycle, the Noble Path, the Anello del Chiaro and the bike and MTB trails.
Info: www.montepulcianoliving.it