Discover Colle Di Val D'elsa

Colle di Val d'Elsa combines important evidence of Tuscan history with paths through the town and countryside. Here, you can combine museums and sacred art with sections of the Via Francigena, a 22-kilometre circular route and the SentierElsa riverside trail. This makes the town suitable for a trip in which culture, activity and peaceful experiences in the landscape can all have their place.

Museums, art and visible urban history

The Museo del Cristallo is located on the site of the former Boschi glassworks. The site thus preserves the memory of an earlier industrial context, while the archaeological museum in the Palazzo Pretorio takes you further back in time: on display are Etruscan, Roman and medieval finds. The museum also includes the Giardino delle Arti and the Stanze della Memoria “Gracco Del Secco”. A different way of experiencing the town is offered by the contemporary art trail between the upper and lower towns. The streets become an open-air gallery. The Museo San Pietro traces the history of Colle through sacred and civic art. The sacred works illustrate the development of faith in the Valdelsa from its beginnings to the establishment of the Diocese of Colle. The collection is complemented by civic holdings from the 19th and 20th centuries, including works by Antonio Salvetti and Walter Fusi, as well as the collections of Walter Fusi and Romano Bilenchi. A selection from Romano Bilenchi's library also displays works by Ottone Rosai, Moses Levy and Mino Maccari. Sacred architecture includes the Church of Santa Caterina d’Alessandria, which has been documented since the end of the 13th century. Santa Caterina houses a polychrome terracotta group depicting the Lamentation of Christ by Zaccaria Zacchi, created between 1504 and 1506. In the Duomo di Colle, the Cappella del Sacro Chiodo preserves one of the nails used for the crucifixion of Christ in a tabernacle. The Palazzo Campana complements the townscape as an example of 16th-century Tuscan Mannerist architecture. The connection between buildings and their surroundings is also noteworthy: the Convento di San Francesco is linked to the Borgo by the nine-arched Ponte di San Francesco; the bridge was completed in 1338. From the Bastione di Sapia, a restored old military structure with a reinforcing tower, there is a broad view of the Convento di San Francesco and the Duomo.

Paths between the Francigena and the Elsa

Colle di Val d'Elsa lies along Via Francigena Stage 32 between San Gimignano and Monteriggioni. Within the municipal area, one route runs through the town centre, while another leads through the countryside. Those looking for an independent circular tour will find the Anello della Francigena Colligiana, a 22-kilometre circular route starting and ending in Colle di Val d'Elsa. The SentierElsa offers a different perspective on the landscape. The approximately 4-kilometre riverside trail begins at the Steccaia and Callone Reale hydraulic structures. In the Diborrato section, the waters of the Elsa form a waterfall about 15 metres high and a small lake approximately 10 metres deep. The river is considered suitable for swimming and is a destination for many bathers in summer. This provides different ways to spend time outdoors when planning your day: a historic long-distance route, a circular trail with a fixed starting point and a path that follows the river. For local orientation, city bus route 202 connects the bus terminal in Via Bilenchi with the “Parcheggio Rimembranza” stop at the entrance to Colle Alta. This is particularly relevant if you would like to include the town's different levels in your sightseeing.

Archaeology and regional tradition

In the hamlet of Dometaia, the Archaeological Park contains 56 tombs. They date from the middle of the 6th century BC to the first years of the 2nd century AD. Educational workshops held on site allow visitors to take part in simulated excavations, landscape studies and clay work. A culinary tradition can be experienced at the Sagra della Miseria in Santa Caterina, where samples of traditional peasant cuisine are offered. Together with the museums, churches and trails, this provides an approach to Colle di Val d' Elsa that takes into account not only individual sights, but also art, history, landscape and regional food culture. For further orientation, you can then visit the destination pages for Campiglia Dei Foci, Borgatello and Castel San Gimignano.

For the overview of the wider travel destination: Siena.

More destinations

More places within the same destination:

Chiusdino, Monteriggioni, Toiano, Piazze, Castelnuovo Berardenga.