Palazzo Ricci
Palazzo Ricci
4.4
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.4
47 reviews
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Mairwen1
United Kingdom12,425 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
Last time we visited Palazzo Ricci, we did the full experience and booked onto the wine-tasting and the underground cellars tour. Thoroughly enjoyed it at the time but didn’t need to do it again (see previous review). However we still stopped briefly at the palazzo because the courtyard out the back has a magnificent viewing terrace that looks down over the surrounding Tuscan countryside. You don’t need to book or pay - you can freely walk out to the courtyard.
Montepulciano is a hill-top town, set up high on a limestone ridge so there are a number of good viewing spots around the town but I think this is one of the best.
Montepulciano is a hill-top town, set up high on a limestone ridge so there are a number of good viewing spots around the town but I think this is one of the best.
Written April 18, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mairwen1
United Kingdom12,425 contributions
May 2022
Palazzo Ricci is a large and striking Renaissance palace, with a surprisingly deep and cavernous underground system of wine cellars. The best way to see it is by doing the wine-tasting and tour of the caves but I’ve reviewed that separately under ‘Cantina De’Ricci’.
This review is only on the palazzo itself. Without doing the tour, the courtyard is all that you can really access. However it’s worth stopping here briefly for the panoramic view.
You can walk freely through the main entrance into the courtyard area where you’ll get expansive views over Tuscany - an excellent photo-opportunity.
The palace was commissioned in 1534 by Cardinal Giovanni Ricci and was completed in 1562. The stone facade looks austere but in its day, it was considered one of the most beautiful buildings in Montepulciano. The Ricci family’s history can be traced back to 1150. The family name (which means hedgehog) and the coat of arms (a hedgehog looking at the sun) date back to a very early ancestor, Riccio de’Ricci. He had a strange knack of being able to predict the weather with spot-on accuracy. In the 12th century, this sort of mysterious ability spooked people. Was it magic, hoodoo or something sinister? To escape suspicion, he revealed his method - he simply watched the hedgehogs. If the weather was going to be mild, they came out of their burrows, if the weather was going to turn bad, they scurried back in.
This review is only on the palazzo itself. Without doing the tour, the courtyard is all that you can really access. However it’s worth stopping here briefly for the panoramic view.
You can walk freely through the main entrance into the courtyard area where you’ll get expansive views over Tuscany - an excellent photo-opportunity.
The palace was commissioned in 1534 by Cardinal Giovanni Ricci and was completed in 1562. The stone facade looks austere but in its day, it was considered one of the most beautiful buildings in Montepulciano. The Ricci family’s history can be traced back to 1150. The family name (which means hedgehog) and the coat of arms (a hedgehog looking at the sun) date back to a very early ancestor, Riccio de’Ricci. He had a strange knack of being able to predict the weather with spot-on accuracy. In the 12th century, this sort of mysterious ability spooked people. Was it magic, hoodoo or something sinister? To escape suspicion, he revealed his method - he simply watched the hedgehogs. If the weather was going to be mild, they came out of their burrows, if the weather was going to turn bad, they scurried back in.
Written October 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
shiketing
Basel, Switzerland170 contributions
May 2018 • Couples
The courtyard of the Palazzo Ricci offers a nice view over Tuscany. The wine cellar is amazing and described as cathedrals. Very interesting to see the storage and aging of their wines. At the exit an excellent wine tasting is offered for 3 €. Great wines.
Written May 22, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ondadimare
Italy18,595 contributions
Oct 2023 • Friends
…not far from Piazza Grande in Montepulciano…I noticed this beautiful Palace!!…it's Palazzo Ricci!!…which I clearly only saw from the outside!!…the facade has this beautiful door…and a stone staircase! !...it is said that inside there is a beautiful courtyard with a panoramic view!!...it was built by Cardinal Ricci!!...and is currently home to the Academy of Music!!...conservatory of music and dance!!...and yes they hold courses and concerts!!…it is also said that in certain periods you can visit the internal courtyard!!…but when there are special events!!…in this Palazzo Ricci in Montepulciano!!…
Written November 12, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ConnieLongBeach
Long Beach322 contributions
Sep 2017 • Couples
My husband and I were told by our hotel to be sure to visit the Ricci Palazzo in Montepulciano to both experience walking down through the underground tunnels and sampling their wine. Both were a wonderful experience...don't miss this!
Written October 17, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AndrewJonesFoto
County Kilkenny, Ireland148 contributions
Oct 2015 • Couples
In terms of value for money, the concert we attended at the Palazzo Ricci was truly exceptional. 3 hours of top class music for just €7 per head. However it was much more than that, it was a privilege to listen to potential classical stars of the future, in a concert "Musica da Camera". The music fluctuated from the purest subtitles to power and resonance. A series of performances of such colour that I and others in the small audience were in tears of joy by the end. I must mention in particular the performances of Ariana Kashefi, Benedikt Brodbeck, Amanda Britos and Ivan Knezevic that were particularly brilliant on the night. The Salon itself is beautiful with a high painted ceiling and excellent acoustics.
Written October 2, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Duncan E
Harrogate, UK86 contributions
Jul 2014 • Friends
On your travels around Montepulciano, Palazzo Ricci is well worth a visit, with great views of the valley at the back.
Written August 1, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
VoyagerAimerSourire
Princeton, NJ970 contributions
Aug 2017 • Couples
The owner of the B&B where we were staying in Tuscany told us we simply had to go to the Palazzo Ricci if we ever went to Montepulciano, and he was of course right! The European Academy of Music is based there and when we visited there was a lyrical master class underway. It was a wonderful experience to gaze out on the Tuscan countryside (see uploaded photos) from the high vantage point of the Palazzo Ricci while the music wafted around the courtyard. The building is also the HQ of De'Ricci wines but we did not have the time to visit their wine cellar this time around.
Written August 29, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Charles F
Newtown, UK719 contributions
Sep 2016 • Friends
Wonderful old building, deep cellar provides an opportunity to see the great vats of wine and enjoy a tasting session of 6 various nobile wines, with explanation, no charge as we bought some bottles.
Written May 14, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rebecca C
Fruita, CO36 contributions
Oct 2017 • Friends
If you want to feel like you're being transported back in time, this is not to be missed. With each step down the worn stone steps, lit by sunlight streaming through tiny arched windows and intricate bronze torch lights, you will feel transported hundreds of years back in time. The history, heritage, and art made this a highlight of our trip. Excellent wine too (I had a case shipped home to me)! Very accommodating to our group.
Written March 3, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
annebosdorff
Leuna, Germany
Hallo,
ich würde gerne einen Veranstaltungsplan für Konzerte auf dem Palazzo Ricci oder eine Oper in Montepulciano haben, Zeitraum Juli 2017. Wo kann man dann die Tickets bestellen ? Dankeschön
Written July 5, 2017
Dear Andrew:
Do you know if it is possible to book tickets in advance? There doesn't appear to be an option outside a contact email address on the Palazzo Ricci website.
Thanks
Trevor Whitton
Australia
Written March 3, 2016
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