Colle di Val d'Elsa

Colle di Val d'Elsa is situated in the heart of Tuscany at a short distance from Florence, Siena, San Gimignano and Volterra. The earliest settlement dates back to remote Etruscan-Roman times. The town was mentioned by Dante and prospered as a free, hard-working borough that frequently shifted its alliance from one to the other of its two powerful neighbouring cities, Florence and Siena.

... Colle di Val d'Elsa

Between the 13th end the 18th century paper was in fact the most important economic activity of the city. During the 17th and 18th centuries Colle was renowned for having remarkable cultural personalities among its citizens. Some of these were associated with outstanding figures of their time, such as Galileo Galilei and Vittorio Alfieri. The 19th century witnessed the decline of the paper mills, quickly substituted by foundries and glassworks.

Nowadays, Colle di Val d'Elsa is known as the "City of Crystal", but its industrial activities are many and highly qualified and its cultural tradition has by no means been lost.

Tuscan history

We do not know exactly who the first inhabitants of Tuscany were. The first reliable traces of man's presence in the region go as far back as the Bronze and Iron ages. Remains of villages belonging to that historical period have been discovered in various parts of Tuscany, together with a number of utensils and archaeological findings that confirm the existence of a reasonably well organized civilization.

... Tuscan history

In the 17th and 18th centuries Tuscany was the coveted object of political power struggles among France, Spain, and Austria. In 1737 the Habsburgs annexed Tuscany to the Austrian Empire. In 1799 Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Tuscany and founded a French ruled kingdom that he called Etruria, which lasted 15 years.

Siena

Siena, home of the famous Palio horse race, is set in the rolling hills of Tuscany. This medieval walled town is known for its magnificent works of art, partly dating back to the 12th century.

The Piazza del Campo, located in the heart of the city, is a unique medieval square.

... Siena

Whereas Florence is known as the city of the renaissance, Siena is rather its gothic counterpart.

Opposite the Palazzo Comunale stands the Fontana Gaia, another focal point in this space. It is richly decorated with stunning bas-reliefs.

... Siena

The Sanctuary of Santa Caterina was founded in 15th century and includes the house of St. Caterina Benincasa and other nearby buildings. Designed in 1464, and modeled after her home, this contains many works of art. In the upper oratory we find paintings illustrating the life of the saint by Fungai, Del Riccio, Pomarancio, Vanetti and Francesco Vanni.

The loggia of the Casa e Santuario di Santa Caterina leads to various oratories (chapels).

... Siena

Streaming Gothic lines are immediately striking upon entering the upper church of the basilica. The church is richly decorated with frescoes by Giotto, depicting The Life of Saint Francis. All together there are 28 panels which took him about five years to complete between 1290 and 1295.

... Siena

Siena's Duomo is a shining paradigm of pure gothic architecture designed by architect Nicola Pisano. The Duomo was built in the 12th century as a monument to Christianity. The Duomo, together with the nearby hill of Castelvecchio, is the original nucleus of the city.

... Siena

The interior with its three naves is magnificently designed. If you look to the ceiling you will notice that 172 popes are looking back at you. If you look to the marble floor you will see 56 panels depicting various sacred scenes. For most of the year these panels are covered to protect them, but they are uncovered during special occasions for every one to admire.

Just beyond the Piccolomini library is the Chapel of Saint John the Baptist, which contains a statue of the Saint, and the Pulpit by Nicola Pisano. The Pulpit contains scenes from the Life of Christ.

Sienese landscape

Classic Sienese landscapes have distinctive characteristics : vineyards, olive groves, cypresses and a patchwork of cultivated fields of corn and brillant sunflowers that carpet the clay slopes, tamed and tended by centuries of peasant wisdom.

Castel San Gimignano

Castel San Gimignano is a small village with a great name and is situated nearby the famous town of San Gimignano. It was once a borough to protect San Gimignano's borders. Nowadays it is quietly surrounded by forests, vineyards, olive groves and cypresses. All of these make the village a picturesque entirety.

San Gimignano

Also called La Cittá delle Belle Torri , San Gimignano is perched on a hill with its towers thrown into sharp relief by the deep green mountains behind it, San Gimignano looks like a town plucked from a fairy tale and set into the Tuscan countryside. Local families tried to out-do each other by building towers. Of 72 towers 14 remained.

... San Gimignano

The old town is almost perfectly preserved. At the historical Piazza della Cisterna visitors may enjoy the unforgettable medieval atmosphere. The piazza got its name from the water tank built there in 1273. Used for a market and for festivals and competitions, this triangular piazza is slightly sloping and is paved with bricks in a herringbone pattern.

... San Gimignano

By the time the economic renewal that has made Italy one of the world's major economic powers began, the roads had shifted down into the valleys, and San Gimignano watched from splendid isolation as towns and industries sprang up along the rail lines far below. Ironically, this has been its salvation. Faced with the choice of going to work in the dingy industrial towns along the valley floors or enjoying the sun and fresh air of their hill top, San Gimignano's residents have opted for the latter with a single minded dedication that would make their merchant forbearers proud.

Volterra

Idyllically set amidst an evocative landscape of soft rolling hills and lush woodland abruptly defined by barren, deep clay walled chasms gullies and ravines, Volterra, 545 metres above sea level, dominates and divides the Cecina and Era valleys.

... Volterra

Volterra was one of the Etruscan city-states. In the third century B.C., it joined the Dodecapolis, the religious, cultural and commercial Italic Federation formed by of the largest Etruscan cities, though continuing to maintain its own trade regulations.

... Volterra

If wines are your thing, you can taste regional products by the glass at the specialized Enoteca Del Duca , just 100 meters away from the Piazza dei Priori.

Castellina in Chianti

Castellina in Chianti is at the heart of the Chianti region, along the old and beautiful Chianti route. Castellina in Chianti has Etruscan beginnings and is a mildly fortified hill town with a spectacular view over three valleys to the north, east and west. A lovely town square, an unusual number of very nice shops and enotecas, trattorias and restaurants make this a pleasant stop.

... Castellina in Chianti

Chianti Classico wines are very drinkable. They also compliment an afternoon snack in one of the many enotecas (informal wine bars) located throughout the Chianti region mostly in the small towns of the region.

Le Crete

The amazing naked landscape to the south east of Siena is called Le Crete . The intriguing and distinctive semi-desert landscape is harsh and wild, difficult to cultivate by anyone who is not an expert and who doesn't respect the laws of nature.

This area was made famous by the Battle of Montaperti between the Florentines and the Sienese in 1260, which took place here.

... Le Crete

The Crete landscape is no doubt one of the most famous in the world. It holds rolling hills in all shades of brown to green, sturdy brick farmhouses and imposing mansions, crowning the hilltops and cypress lined alleys. They design a perfect scenery that inspired painters since the Middleages.

Florence

The Duomo of Florence as we see it today is the end result of years of work that covered over six centuries of history. Its basic architectural project was designed by Arnolfo di Cambio at the end of the 13th century. The monumental cupola that has made it a symbol for the whole of Tuscany was created by that genius of the Renaissance, Filippo Brunelleschi, while the facade that completed it was carried out as late as the late 19th century.

... Florence

The Florentine cathedral was given the name of Santa Maria del Fiore (Holy Mary of the Flower) in 1412 in clear allusion to the lily symbol of the city. The process of building the Duomo was very difficult. The Cathedral is built of red, white, and green marble, except for the roof of the Cathedral, and the dome which were constructed mainly of red Italian tile.

... Florence

Dating from the late 13th Century, the Palazzo Vecchio was home to the ruling De Medici family. It is one of the masterpieces of fourteenth century architecture. The façade, covered with rustic stone, is divided into three levels divided by cornices on which rest the beautiful mullioned windows whose arches are covered and underlined with the same stone. The small balcony, sustained by small arched supports underneath, opens out through an arched window, providing great architectural effect.

... Florence

The Fontana del Nettuno , known also as "Biancone", is a beautiful and suggestive monumental fountain on the Piazza della Signoria , on the left side of the Palazzo Vecchio. The giant in white marble represents Neptune, the sea god, surrounded by tritons, Nereids and satyrs.

The Fontana del Nettuno, admired also as a sculpture, depicts a mythological scene that make a great effect upon the spectator. The giant, in fact, seems to show his power and dominate the piazza coming out of the waters pulled by the force of four horses. The bronze figures on each side reproduce the Fluvial Allegories, flanked by satyrs.

... Florence

The church of Santa Croce is truly unique, not only for the purity of the Gothic style, but also for the famous works of art it contains and its historical importance. The Basilica of Santa Croce, one of the largest churches in the city, is attributed to the genius of Arnolfo di Cambio. The facade with its three gables dates to the 19th century.

... Florence

The Gothic church of Santa Croce is impressive, but the tombs are what make this such a great place to nourish an inferiority complex. Galileo, Machiavelli, Michelangelo and Alfieri are buried here.

Michelangelo Buonarroti is one of the greatest artists of all time, a man whose name has become synonymous with the word masterpiece . Michelangelo's tomb is the first on your right. The life size figures of the muses of painting, sculpture, and architecture are draped in mourning around the brown marble sarcophagus.

... Florence

Galileo was excommunicated by the Church in 1633 but permitted a Christian burial here nearly hundred years after his death in 1642. The scientist is perched in the middle holding his beloved telescope. His hand rests on the earth which sits on open books. This stands for many things; the fact that he was an avid teacher, he studied all through his life, and that a philosopher is a man of books. The diagram of our solar system also shows the sun ... in the middle.

... Florence

The Ponte Vecchio is the oldest bridge that crosses the Arno river. It dates back to Roman times and has often been re-built. Originally the sides held food shops but by the end of the 15th century the shops were assigned to goldsmiths and silversmiths.