City: Colle Val d' Elsa (Siena) - Pop. 19500 - Alt : 141 m asl - Location: Tuscany

Description: Colle Val d'Elsa is a town in the province of Siena, Tuscany, Italy. Colle di Val d'Elsa is a town of 20,000 lying in the the valley of river Elsa, alongthe ancient Via Francigena, the medieval pilgrimage and trading route from Central Europe to Rome. Colle val d'Elsa  flourished thanks to her wool and paper industries. From the l5th century onwards, it became an important centre for the printing industry and the manufacture of glass bottles. Like the other valley centers, Colle val d'Elsa, too, appears divided into two suburbs: "Upper Colle val d'Elsa" which has old medieval origins and  preserves fortified walls and buildings, old gates and very suggestive medieval glimpses and "Lower Colle val d'Elsa", which has been enlarged by industries, shops, trading companies and residential areas.

Sights and Attractions:   Cathedral of Colle Val d'Elsa • Church of Santa Maria in Canonica • Church of St. Pietro • Gothic church of St. Augustine, with its l3th century facade. (Preserved here are a Madonna by Taddeo di Bartolo, a panel by Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio, a Deposition by Cigoli and a tabernacle attributed to Baccio da Montelupo)  • Church of St Caterina • Convent of St Francesco • Sanctuary of St. Maria delle Grazie • Abbey of St. Maria Assunta a Conèo •  Parish church of Saints Ippolito and Cassiano at Conèo •  Palazzo Campana (16th century) is a wonderful mannerist palace built on a viaduct forming and entryway to Upper Colle • In Upper Colle, one can visit the ancient tower-house, the birthplace of Arnolfo di Cambio who was a famous sculptor and who died in Florence in the year 1302.


Museums: The Archeological Museum hosts numerous Etruscan funerary urns as well as precious pottery and other objects from this ancient civilization.
The Diocese Museum of Religious Art: rebuilt in the 17th century, it houses a good collection of sacred art mostly from the Sienese school. Its masterpieces are some splendid frescos by Bartolo di Fredi and the “Maestà” by the Badia a Isola Mater, painted in Duccio’ style. Museum of Lead-Crystal Glass: the only museum in Italy wholly dedicated to lead-crystal glass. It hosts some important public and private collections of crystal art works coming from the 15th century until
 today.

Events: 2nd  Sunday of  every month:  Antique fair • Summer season: Operas, music concerts, theatrical performances •  First 2 weeks of Sept: Crystal fair and exhibition

Typical products: Chianti wine, Vinsanto sweet wine,  Olive oil,  Tuscan salami,  Crystal items, handicrafts.

Surrounding smaller towns and hamlets: Borgatello, Bibbiano, Campiglia, Castel San Gimignano, Collalto, Gracciano, Le Grazie, Mensanello, Quartaia.

Neighboring towns: Casole d'Elsa, Monteriggioni, Poggibonsi, San Gimignano, Volterra.

Nearest airport: Florence Airport (1 hour) or Pisa airport (2 hours drive).
Nearest train station: Siena and or Florence train stations (30 km)
Public transportation: TRA-IN Bus service website
Distances: Certaldo 25 km, Florence 52 km, Greve in Chianti 45 km,  Milan 350 km, Monteriggioni 12 km, Orvieto 147 km, Pisa 90 km, Siena 27 km, Rome 257 km, San Gimignano 15, Volterra 28 km.