Not much is known of the history of this town before the year 1000, but we know that in the year 1100, the town declared itself an independent region. In the subsequent centuries, the rapidly expanding regions of Siena and Florence (which are equidistant from Colle to the south and north respectively) attempted to annex Colle and the surrounding area into their territory.
In 1269 there was a battle where Siena was defeated by Florence, marking revenge for the ignominious defeat at Montaperti nine years earlier. Some years went by, however, before Colle in 1333 finally capitulated to Florentine rule and agreed to become a part of the Florentine region. The town of Colle had already contributed significantly to the development of Florence, since the architect responsible for many of the most impressive of Florence’s buildings from the second half of the 13th century, Arnolfo di Cambio, was born in Colle Val d’Elsa in 1245. The Renaissance painter, Cennino Cennini also came from Colle to Florence. Cennini became famous in particular for his Trattato della pittura, a significant work in the development of art history.
In the centuries that followed Colle experienced financial progress, initially due to wool production and later in the 15th century due to the fact that Colle was one of the first Italian printing centres. Today the town is famous for its crystal industry, which began in the 16th century. The town still produces high quality wine glasses, which make drinking Tuscan wines even more pleasurable.
The expansion of the town over the years has had an odd result. Colle now consists of two totally distinct parts: the high town and the low town. In Italian, ‘colle’ means hill, and when you look at the high town, which is also the old town, the name of the town becomes self-explanatory. The high town stands one hundred metres above the new town on a steep hill. The old town still has fortresses and bastions and within the walls most of the buildings date from the 13th to 16th centuries. You won’t find any supermarkets or fancy boutiques here, just small cafés, intimate restaurants and charming streets with private accommodation. The cathedral dates from the beginning of the 17th century and around the its square, Piazza del Duomo, you can find the town hall, which dates from 1335 and which is decorated by the many coats of arms of visiting lord mayors over the ages. At the end of the main street, you find the Casa-Torre di Arnolfo di Cambio, where it is said the great architect was born.
At the bottom of the hill lies the new town, where you can find all the shopping and entertainment you need. Today, the town has 15,000 inhabitants who need a bit of everything! Of particular interest is the fact that one of Italy’s best (and most expensive) restaurants, Arnolfo is found in the town.
Its location in the centre of Chianti makes Colle Val d’Elsa the ideal spot for those who wish to explore central Tuscany. The town is very picturesque and unbelievably tourist-free, considering it is situated just a few kilometres from the motorway which joins Siena and Florence. It’s also ideal if you don’t have a car as many bus routes connect here. Siena, San Gimignano and Volterra are all less than 25 km away and Florence is only 40 km away.
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