Val d'Orcia · Montepulciano

Underground Cellars Montepulciano (Contucci)

The Contucci cellar sits directly beneath Piazza Grande in a maze of tufa caves carved centuries ago.

About Underground Cellars Montepulciano (Contucci)

The Contucci cellar sits directly beneath Piazza Grande in a maze of tufa caves carved centuries ago. You're walking through genuine Renaissance-era storage chambers where the Contucci family has aged Vino Nobile di Montepulciano since the 1600s. The tufa rock maintains perfect temperature year-round, and massive oak barrels line chambers that stretch beneath the entire piazza above your head.

You'll enter through the family's Renaissance palace and descend into cool, atmospheric chambers that feel genuinely ancient. The stone walls weep slightly with humidity, creating the perfect aging environment. Staff pour generous tastings of their current Vino Nobile while explaining the traditional methods still used today. The contrast between the sun-baked piazza above and these cool, quiet caves below is striking.

This is absolutely the best free wine experience in Montepulciano, and most visitors rush past without realizing it exists. Skip the overpriced tastings elsewhere and start here. Bottles range from EUR 12 to 25, which is fair for estate-produced Vino Nobile. If you want drama over substance, De' Ricci nearby (EUR 5) has more impressive vaulted rooms but charges for everything Contucci gives free.

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The place

Getting there

Address

Via del Teatro, 1, 53045 Montepulciano SI, Italy

Neighborhood

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Good to know

Tips, answered

Enter through the main palace doorway on Piazza Grande, not the side street entrance most tourists hunt for unsuccessfully

Ask to see the deepest chamber where they store their reserve wines, most visitors only see the front tasting area

Visit before 4pm when staff have more time to show you around properly, after that they're rushing to close by 6:30pm

Plan for about 45 minutes.

Underground Cellars Montepulciano (Contucci) is in the Montepulciano neighborhood of Val d'Orcia. The address is Via del Teatro, 1, 53045 Montepulciano SI, Italy. The area is well-served by metro.

Yes, entry is free. There may be optional paid exhibits or activities, but the main experience costs nothing.

This works well at any time of day, though mornings tend to be quieter. Weekdays are less crowded than weekends.

Comfortable shoes are recommended. Parts are outdoors, so bring a light layer.

Around the corner

Nearby in Montepulciano

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Experience

Cantina de' Ricci

Cantina de' Ricci houses the largest wine cellar complex in Montepulciano, with cathedral-like chambers carved directly into the volcanic tufa beneath the historic center. These aren't just storage rooms: they're genuine Etruscan tunnels that stretch deep underground, now lined with thousands of bottles of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. The 45-minute tours take you through multiple levels of vaulted stone chambers, some dating back over 2,000 years, where you'll taste wines in rooms that feel more like ancient crypts than typical tasting rooms. Descending into the cellars feels like entering a medieval cathedral made of stone. The temperature drops noticeably as you move deeper, and your guide's voice echoes off the curved ceilings while they explain how Etruscan drainage systems still function today. The scale surprises everyone: these aren't cramped basement rooms but soaring chambers where you can walk upright through corridor after corridor. The stone walls weep moisture that creates the perfect aging conditions, and you'll see bottles covered in decades of cellar dust. Most wine tours in Montepulciano feel rushed and touristy, but Cantina de' Ricci delivers something genuinely atmospheric. Standard tours cost around 25 EUR and include three wine tastings, which is fair value for the quality. Skip the expensive reserve tastings unless you're seriously into wine: the standard Vino Nobile selections showcase the terroir perfectly well. The regular tour covers plenty of ground, though the extended version does access some genuinely spectacular deeper tunnels that justify the extra cost if you're fascinated by Etruscan architecture.

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Experience

Cantine Gattavecchi

Cantine Gattavecchi occupies the underground cellars of a deconsecrated 13th-century church in Montepulciano, where you'll taste Vino Nobile wines surrounded by centuries-old stone walls. The cellars stretch through multiple levels carved from volcanic tufa, with some tunnels dating back to Etruscan times. You'll sample three to five wines depending on which tasting you choose, learning about the family's winemaking traditions that span six generations. The experience starts in the original church space above ground before descending into the labyrinthine cellars below. The temperature drops noticeably as you walk through narrow passages lined with aging barrels and bottles. Your guide explains the geology while you taste, pointing out where medieval monks stored communion wine and how the Etruscans first carved these tunnels. The stone walls create an almost cathedral-like acoustics that makes every explanation feel more dramatic. Most wine tastings in Montepulciano feel formulaic, but this one genuinely transports you. The basic tasting costs EUR 10 and includes four wines plus a brief cellar tour, which beats the EUR 15 to 20 you'll pay elsewhere for less atmosphere. Skip the expensive reserve tasting unless you're seriously considering buying bottles. The regular Vino Nobile selections show the terroir just as well, and you'll spend more time exploring the fascinating underground spaces.

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Cultural Site

Duomo di Montepulciano

Montepulciano's cathedral sits at the heart of Piazza Grande, its deliberately unfinished brick facade hiding one of Tuscany's finest artistic surprises: Taddeo di Bartolo's stunning 1401 Assumption triptych. The massive altarpiece dominates the simple interior with brilliant blues and golds, showcasing Sienese Gothic painting at its peak. You'll also find scattered pieces of Michelozzo's Renaissance tomb for Bartolomeo Aragazzi, reassembled throughout the church after being dispersed for centuries. The contrast hits you immediately when you step inside: the plain brick exterior gives way to soaring white columns and that magnificent altarpiece drawing your eye straight to the altar. The space feels intimate despite its size, with morning light filtering through simple windows to illuminate the artwork. Most visitors spend their time photographing the triptych, but the tomb fragments deserve equal attention, each piece a masterwork of Renaissance sculpture scattered like puzzle pieces around the nave. Entry is free, which makes this one of the best cultural values in Montepulciano. Skip the audio guide (they don't offer one anyway) and focus your 20 minutes on the altarpiece and hunting down all five pieces of the Aragazzi tomb. Most tourists rush through after a quick photo, but the triptych rewards closer study: look for the detailed expressions in the crowd of apostles. The church closes for lunch from 12:30 to 3:30pm, so time your visit accordingly.

30 minutesExplore

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