Montepulciano has rightfully been called the “pearl of the Cinquecento” because its palaces, churches, and decorations reflect the mature Renaissance period and form a sort of open-air museum. Tempio di San Biagio was built by Antonio da Sangallo the Elder between 1518 and 1545 and represents a masterpiece of Tuscan Cinquecento architecture. The church is located in the middle of a flat meadow, and its position outside the city, amidst extraordinary scenery, highlights its grandeur. The origin of the church is linked to a miraculous event that occurred on April 23, 1518, when two maids, Antilia and Camilla, and a peasant named Toto, passing by a fresco depicting the Madonna and Child with Saint Francis, saw the Virgin Mary open and close her eyes, as if she were alive. In front of the church is the harmonious building of the Canonica, with two beautiful loggias, built around 1550.