Acquaviva di Montepulciano Montepulciano

Acquaviva is a fraction of the township of Montepulciano. The main street of the village is Via Fratelli Celso and Claudio Braschi : from here starts out the inhabited center, in continuous expansion. The patron saint is Saint Vittorino, to whom is dedicated the church with Greek cross plan, dated 1800. Saint Vittorino is also the steepest street in the village, situated on the side of the church. The first traces of the presence of Acquaviva are found on a signed document, dated 803, with reference to the parish of Saint Vittorino of Acquaviva, of which no trace remains. In the past, the village was inhabited by the Romans, as the floor of a Roman building, discovered in 1957, testifies. From 1988 until the very first few years of the new century, Acquaviva has been divided in four districts, called Aie (farmyards), in homage to the agricultural tradition: Aia di Chiavino (light blue), Aia di Cochino ( yellow), Aia di Passerino (green), Aia di Puntale (red). During the Fair of Saint Vittorino, the four farmyards challenge each other in the games of the “Pazzo Fierale”, transposition of the well known No Frontier Games. Among the many challenges in the past the “l’ocio” (male goose) race was the most popular. Afterwards ,for a few years, in June, the Aie challenged each other, in the Cart Race: the old agricultural carts were pushed uphill by the athletes of each district. In Acquaviva, until the years after the war, also the Carnival Parades were among the most popular and lively ones in the area. In such context, the musical band of the village played a fundamental role. The most characteristic events , for example the Cattle Fair , have always taken place in the Fierale Gardens, that up to now have always been the village social fulcrum.