Colle Val d'Elsa — SienaItalyTours.com

the name says it all: Colle (hill) Val (valley) d’Elsa (the River Elsa)

Just a 25-minute bus ride from Siena, Colle is a welcome reprieve from the tourist hot spots of Tuscany.

This is why Italians need pasta - to get up these hills!

This tower was home to Arnolfo di Cambio, one of the greatest architects and sculptors of the 13th & 14th centuries (he designed the Duomo of Florence, among other things!).

Even the fountains smile in Colle!

The Chapel of the Holy Nail (meant to be from Christ's left foot) in the Cathedral.

You can never have too many Madonna and Childs now, can you? Museo San Pietro, Colle Val d'Elsa.

Porta Nuova, the "New" Gate, since it's only from the late 15th century (!).

Colle is divided into two parts, Colle Alta (upper) and Colle Bassa (lower), but don’t worry, there is an elevator that will take you to the top! Lower Colle boasts a network of canals called le gore (you can still hear the water running) which once fed the paper mills; in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, Colle was one of Italy’s leading paper producers. Glassmaking arrived to the area in the 15th century, and Colle still produces nearly 15% of the world’s crystal! Need a relic? How about a nail from the True Cross, a highlight for pilgrims travelling the Via Francigena on their way to Rome.

Parco Fluviale

Best if you have a car to reach the park along the River Elsa, and you can also visit (and take a dip in!) the Caldane, the natural springs used by the Etruscans and the Romans.

Tours

Contact Anna

Home