Oinos Article

Even from the tower of the Renaissance Palazzo Pubblico in Piazza Gran¬de the gaze reaches the Sibillini Mountains, the Cimone and, when the air is particularly clear, even the Gran Sasso d’Italia in Abruzzo. The characteristic historic center of Montepulciano winds along a single main road, called the Corso, which, starting from the lower part of the city, climbs up to Piazza Grande. It is accessed from the Porta al Prato, formerly of Grac¬ciano, renovated by the architect Antonio da Sangallo the Elder when he built the ramparts of the Medi¬cea Fortress. Continuing along the first section of the Corso, via di Gracciano ap-punto - refined 16th-century road home to many patrician palaces, about half of which leads to Piazza Micheloz¬zo. Here, where on the last Sunday of August you can see the competitors of the Bravìo delle Botti with the representatives of the 8 districts of the police who push the big barrels up the village, one cannot fail to notice the unusual Clock Tower, also known as Pulcinella due to the automaton that wears the typical Neapolitan mask that beats the hours, in homage to the theatrical culture that has always permeated the city of Politi. Next to the Clock Tower you can admire the white facade of the church of Sant'Agostino, of which the tower is part: built in an epoch prior to this (in 1285), the church was renovated by Michelozzo himself (Florence , 1396-1472) in the sixteenth century and combines the neo-classical style of the Renaissance with the Gothic of the Middle Ages. And from the front stairway, which over time has become a meeting point for many residents of Montepulcia¬no, you can enjoy one of the most evocative views of Montepulciano. Precisely in this elegant square, the pulsating heart of the Gracciano district, distinguished by the coat of arms with the lion in a golden field, where all the driving economic activities of the police city have been based since the fifteenth century, precisely at number 7, is home to the new restaurant "Il Pozzo" - the name comes from an artesian well of medieval origin inside the place, where in ancient times the meteoric waters were conveyed - which opened its doors to guests in 2020. The restaurant is located on the ground floor of an imposing sixteenth-century building which, as can be seen from the coats of arms, first belonged to the noble Tarugi family, one of the oldest and most important from Montepulciano, who then ceded it in the mid-eighteenth century to another noble family, that of the del Corto, wealthy from Cortona. Bound as an asset of historical and architectural interest by the Superintendency of Fine Arts, the palace contains interesting paintings by Federico Zuccari (Sant’Angelo in Vado, 1539 - Ancona, 20 July 1609), an exponent of Mannerism. But the premises that now house the "Il Pozzo" restaurant have an ancient history of hospitality, in fact immediately after the Second World War around 1950, the famous "Caffè Coppa d'Oro" opened there, the usual meeting place for the people of Police - a place of many memories, one of which is linked to the arrival in Montepulciano of the first jukebox - and later they were the seat of the restaurant " The Pulcinella well ". Pa¬tron of the restaurant "Il Pozzo" is Alberto Margheriti, owner of the "Gruppo Mar¬gheriti", an important Tuscan entrepreneurial reality based in Chiusi, with a wide international scope with a plurality of companies operating on different fronts , from nurseries, of which he is one of the European leaders, to real estate up to interests in music production and food and wine with 5 wine shops in Pienza, Montepulciano, Siena, Cortona under the “Vini di Toscana” brand, as well as the famous Osteria “La Porta” in Monticchiello. Completely renovated and with a new, very modern look, at the restaurant "Il Pozzo" elegance is combined with comfort, the setting is perfect and the mood is undoubtedly very apt: "We have created a team of professionals. Zionists in the culinary art - explains Al ¬berto Margheriti - trying to pay homage to quality, in these moments where our values ​​are more useful than ever. The project was born from the passion of a united group, a mixture of young energy and veteran wisdom, which always tries to offer the best in order to create experiential moments at the height of the high levels that for many years have made honor to the Italian culture of hospitality. All ingredients and raw materials are very fresh and carefully selected for a revisited traditional Tuscan cuisine proposal, which seeks to blend innovation and creativity with the typical products of our companies, without going too far from the lines. Our goal is to create gourmet dishes that convey emotions to guests that tell the millennial history of our lands with the added value of the open kitchen, where it is always magical to see the chefs who prepare the various dishes directly ". The restaurant "Il Pozzo" is open all year round and every day for both lunch (12/15 hours) and dinner (19/22 hours) with about 125 seats, of which 25 outside and the rest in the internal rooms, divided into 3 rooms. But the surprise is hidden ... In fact, communicating with the local, there are suggestive brick cellars with at the bottom even an ancient Etruscan tomb dug directly into the tuff, now all completely restored and open to visitors: Montepulciano has many high-medium cellars ¬values ​​dug in the bowels of the country that were used for the long preservation of food - wine, oil, molds, salami - during the many and long sieges that the village has had to face over the centuries. Local ¬ that, until a few decades ago, have really hosted large wooden barrels, which were mounted directly inside, for the aging of the famous Poliziano wine: it is still par to see the wagons fortified by oxen that loads of grapes arrived from the countryside, which were then brought to boil in the fermentation vats in the cellar through special holes, which were also used for aeration. Today these old cellars will be used again because they will keep at the right temperature and humidity about 50 cellars with a capacity of 20 bottles each that customers can rent to keep their wines cool, ready to be consumed in combination. to the many tasty dishes of the restaurant "Il Pozzo". In addition, of course, to be able to choose from the extensive wine list, curated by the sommelier Salvatore Finiello, who makes use of more than ten years of experience in the world of wine: "In our choices we naturally privilege Tuscany, therefore we make room for denominations historical such as Brunel ¬lo di Montalcino, Bolgheri and Chianti Classico with particular attention to the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and the young but interesting Orcia doc. In addition to the latest vintages released on the markets, we have many selections, crus, large formats and we give the possibility of deep vertical of great wines - Sassicaia, Ornellaia, Masseto, Ti¬gnanello, Solaio, Soldera - which can go as far as early nineties of the twentieth century. Certainly we are also in the great wine brands from all over Italy - Barolo, Barbaresco, Amarone, Etna - with a prevalence of red wines, but we have an eye for both whites and bubbles, classic Italian method and French Champagnes ". Alberto, how is the place organized? "We have a kitchen brigade and a dining room staff made up of very motivated young people who want to bring out the place by transmitting to the diners all the flavors and genuine aromas of our territory both from the land but also from the sea , which is quite unusual in the Tuscan hinterland. We buy the best that the local agri-food markets put on the counters every morning with a nice selection of cheeses that also includes blue cheeses and we provide ourselves with an artisan butcher who, according to our needs, also makes us shortcrust pastry for 40 days. juicy Florentine steaks of the Chianina breed, ancient cattle of Etruscan origin, native to the nearby Val di Chiana. Without forgetting that even the breads and pastas are all homemade by us, while a particular attention is reserved for vegetarians, intolerant, allergic and celiac guests with proposals exclusively dedicated to them, so, in addition to bread , we have pici and fettuccine with sauces without starch, such as fresh tomato and aglione dop, an intriguing che¬esecake and even a delicious tiramisu. Our service is punctual with attention to details and details, but it also enhances the Tuscan character with its warmth and friendliness to make our guests feel completely at ease, as if they were eating in a beautiful house. friends".