Chiesa di Sant'Agostino
The first square you reach climbing Via di Gracciano nel Corso is Piazza Michelozzo, and the church that gives it a name stops you before you've decided to stop. The facade is travertine, divided into distinct levels that don't quite match — different stone, different centuries — and that visible seam is part of what makes it worth studying.
Michelozzo di Bartolomeo finished the lower two levels by 1427, including a terracotta lunette above the portal showing the Virgin flanked by Saints John the Baptist and Augustine. The third level and rose window came 70 years later, in 1509, from different hands, and the chromatic break between them is still plain to see.
💛 What travellers fall for
People who linger tend to work through the lateral altars one by one: Lorenzo di Credi's Crucifixion, Alessandro Allori's Resurrection of Lazarus, and the early-1400s Saint Nicholas of Tolentino by Giovanni di Paolo da Siena. The interior is dim — few windows — so give your eyes a moment to adjust before moving down the nave.
The story behind Chiesa di Sant'Agostino
Construction started in 1285, when Bishop of Arezzo Guglielmo dei conti Ubertini blessed the first stone for the Order of Eremites of St. Augustine. The building took shape slowly: by 1440 the church was largely complete, but the upper facade remained unfinished. The Aragazzi family paid Michelozzo di Bartolomeo to resolve it, and he delivered a travertine portal and terracotta lunette by 1427. The third level and tympanum weren't added until 1509.
The interior you see today is largely an 18th-century creation. Between 1784 and 1791, the apse was shortened and the transept removed, leaving a single nave. Antonio da Sangallo the Elder's polychrome wooden crucifix at the main altar, carved in 1533, survived the remodel intact.
Good to know
The church sits on Piazza Michelozzo, the first square up the main corso. Entrance is free. Opening hours are not reliably published, so check with the church directly before making it the centrepiece of your morning. A 30-to-45-minute visit covers the facade and interior comfortably.
Where is Chiesa di Sant'Agostino?
More tickets & tours for Chiesa di Sant'Agostino
Book directly at the provider
What travellers say about Chiesa di Sant'Agostino
I was here on April 12, 2025, and the church is in terrible condition. It needs to be completely restored and cleaned, as there's dust and trash everywhere. It looks abandoned.
More of Montepulciano
Discover where to stay, what to do and the best deals for your trip.
Explore Montepulciano →More attractions in Montepulciano
All of Montepulciano →
Background adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) · map data © OpenStreetMap contributors · ratings & place photos via Google · other photos with per-image credit. Ticket links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.