Anello della Francigena Colligiana, a circular route around Colle di Val d’Elsa

Between Florence and Siena, take the SS 68 di Val Cecinaroad to Colle di Vald’Elsa. Do not enter the town centre but continue along the SS 68 to the Bacìo car park and park there.

(S/E) From the car park, follow the footpath with its steps up to Via Dietro le Mura and Piazza Santa Caterina.

(1) Turn left onto Via Francesco Campana, then passunder the archway through the Palazzo Campana. Continue straight on, passing the Co-Cathedral of Saints Alberto and Marziale, then the Church of Santa Maria in Canonica, until you reach Piazza del Baluardo. Enjoy the view over the lower town and the Val d’Elsa.

(2) Head down to the lower town via the lift or the footpath to reach Via San Sebastiano. Continue eastwards until you reach Via Giuseppe Mazzini.

(3) Turn right into Piazza Arnolfo and cross it, heading east.

(4) Take Via Romano Bilenchi south-eastwards until you reach a small roundabout.

(5) Turn left onto Via Martiri della Libertà, heading north-east, then onto the Colligiana provincial road. Cross the bridge to reach the start of the Elsa Trail.

(6) Head down the path on the right to reach the banks of the River Elsa.
Cross the River Elsa for the first time over the rocks (handrail provided) and continue through the forest. Cross again in the same way. Admire the lovely Cascata del Diborrato (a terraced waterfall with a rocky pool, suitable for swimming), before reaching the end of the water trail and heading back up to Viale dei Mille.

(7) Take the path on the left to cross the footbridge, heading south, then continue along Via Fratelli Bandiera heading south-south-west.

(8) Turn right onto Via Carlo Pisacane, heading south-west, then rejoin the VFI-091_1 route in the Le Nove neighbourhood (signposted).

(9) Continue along the road opposite, heading west, towards Onci. The road leaves the built-up area and runs alongside the Gora Canal.

(10) Leave the road and take the path opposite, which runs alongside the Gora Canal, then joins the Botro degli Strulli river at the Mulino di Le Vene (swimming possible).

(11) Continue straight ahead on the signposted route, which now winds its way through the trees, heading south-west.

(12) Carry on along the path to the left (marked in white and red), ignoring the path leading uphill to the right. After 100 m, turn right to stay on the hillside (the path on the left that goes downhill leads to the same spot).

(13) Turn left, heading slightly downhill towards the south-west, to follow the Botro degli Strulli river below. Ignore the path coming from the right (wooden barrier) and you’ll reach a junction near a bridge.

(14) Carry on straight ahead, heading west, along a dirt track that climbs slightly. This is the Strada vicinale from La Fabbrica to Mensanello. You’ll reach a junction at the edge of the fields.

(15) Head up to the right through the fields, heading north-west, to follow the Strada vicinale from La Fabbrica to Mensanello. Pass by the ruins of the Fonte Sant’Antonio, then head towards the hamlet of Fabbrica, heading west.

(16) Walk through the hamlet, heading south-west. Note the small chapel of the Oratorio della Pietà e Munificenza de Nobili Signori Venturi Gallerani. Ignore the path coming from the left and continue along the track ‘strada vicinale da Quartaia alla Fabbrica’, heading west then south-west, until you reach the village of Quartaia.

(17) Turn right to walk through the village along Via della Concordia, still following the signposted Via Francigena route. Turn left onto Via degli Aragonesi, cross the main road (strada provinciale di Casole d’Elsa) and continue north-west along Via San Frediano and Via San Donato. The road turns into a dirt track as you leave the hamlet.

(18) Turn right to follow route VFI-091_1, heading north-west, and walk alongside the Piro e More campsite.

(19) Head uphill to the right, heading north-west, keeping to the shade of the trees. Then head downhill to the Il Timignano guesthouse.

(20) Turn right, heading north-east, to descend through the trees. Cross the Botro Vialunga stream (often dry) and stay on the main path, heading north-west, to emerge from the woods and walk alongside the fields to the strada di Buliciano.

(21) Turn right and proceed with caution along the road for about 250 m. You’ll reach a junction near the Abbazia di Santa Maria Assunta a Conèo.

(22) Head down the small path on the left through the trees. On the right, the Abbazia di Santa Maria Assunta a Conèo is worth a quick detour (even if the abbey is closed). Leave the trees behind and walk across the fields, heading north, until you reach the Val Cecina state road (SS 68).

(23) Cross the road with care to join the path continuing opposite, heading north-west, then west and finally north. Continue, alternating between sections through the fields and under the trees. Reach the junction of the two variants of the Via Francigena.

(24) Turn right, heading north-east, and climb the hill to Casa Prodeggia.

(25) Turn right, heading south then south-east, to continue the climb to the top of the hill: Casa Prodeggia. After the large hairpin bend on the left, enjoy the view of San Gimignano (to the north-east). Continue along the tarmac road, heading south, to pass through the hamlet of Camaggiori and head south-east. Pass San Savino and the Cimitero Monumentale della Misericordia in Colle di Val d’Elsa, before joining the SS 68 road near the town of Colle di Val d’Elsa.

(26) Follow Via Volterrana along the pedestrian side streets, heading north-east, then east, to reach the medieval town via the Portanuova.

(27) Pass through the gate and walk along the narrow street Via Gracco del Secco, then turn left onto Via Porta Vecchia and right onto Via Dietro le Mura to reach the Bacìo car park (S/E).

In summer, during hot spells, it may be worth doing the circular route in the opposite direction, so you can tackle the sunniest sections early in the morning and enjoy a swim at the spots (11) or (7) at the end of the route.

The recommended car park is in the upper town, but as this is a circular route, other starting points are also possible!

Swimming spots:

• (1) Fountain opposite the Cathedral of Saints Marziale and Alberto.
• (17) Quartaia: Piazza della Chiesa dei Santi Jacopo e Filippo, and Chiesa San Donato (Via San Donato).
• (22) Abbazia di Santa Maria Assunta in Conèo, and at Pian del Bottino.
• (26) ‘Casa dell’acqua’ fountain on the side street (Tuscan regional water dispenser).

Picnic tables:

• (11) Botro degli Strulli – Le Vene Mill.
• (18) Piro e More Campsite
• (26) Le Grazie

Bars:

• Colle di Val d’Elsa: numerous bars, restaurants and shops between the points (26) and (8).
• (17) Bar Quartaia: Via degli Aragonesi.
• (18) Piro e More self-catering campsite (Quartaia).

Accommodation:

• Several hotels, guesthouses and agritourism establishments in Colle di Val d’Elsa.
• Piro e More campsite in Quartaia (18), self-catering.
• Guesthouses around Timignano and the Valdelsa countryside.

The car park at the start consists of two sections; only the upper section is public and accessible to all. It is just a few minutes’ walk from the upper town (Colle Alta).

The Cascata del Diborrato is a popular spot for swimming: rafting equipment can be hired nearby.

Situated south of San Gimignano, Colle di Val d’Elsa is the ‘City of Crystal’ (città del cristallo), but it is also a cultural gem, situated on the Via Francigena pilgrimage route, which runs from Canterbury to Rome. The town is spread over two levels: the historic centre, perched on the hill, overlooks the modern town below, which has developed around the crystal factory.
Built within ramparts surrounded by a moat, La Porta Volterrana (27) is the medieval gate leading to the upper part of the town, which remains a medieval settlement (accessible from the modern lower town via a lift (2)). Via del Castello (1) is lined with a majestic row of 16th-century mansions, interrupted by a viaduct offering a splendid view of the surrounding landscape. Via delle Volte is a fully covered alleyway tucked away beneath the houses. In this well-preserved medieval centre, the austere-looking mansions were once the homes of ruling families, such as the Palazzo Campana, which you can walk through as the street passes beneath its portico. The charming Duomo (Concattedrale dei Santi Alberto e Marziale) houses the relic of the Holy Nail. Its crypt, dedicated to the Confraternity of the Misericordia, which is responsible for funeral ceremonies, is entirely decorated with quadratura and features several frescoes depicting Death in the form of a winged skeleton. The church of Santa Maria in Canonica features an altarpiece with a predella and flanking figures of saints (Madonna and Child with Saints Onofrio, Anthony the Abbot, Bernardino, Stephen and Mary Magdalene) by Pier Francesco Fiorentino. It houses the town museum, as well as the small archaeological museum in the Palazzo Pretorio. The Ranuccio Bianchi Bandinelli Museum displays artefacts found in the Val d’Elsa region, ranging from Etruscan bronze mirrors to huge Hellenistic vases: *La ragazza delle Porciglia*, the grave goods from the Pierini Tomb, and remains from the necropolises of Le Ville and Dometaia. Also worth seeing is the tower house of Arnolfo di Cambio, a native of the town and the architect of Florence’s Palazzo Vecchio (among other buildings).
In the lower part of the town, admire the impressive modern fountain in Piazza Arnolfo di Cambio (4). Crystal-making is the town’s signature industry. In 1820, the French glassmaker Francesco Mathis opened a crystal factory in the lower part of the village. Today, Colle di Val d’Elsa accounts for 95 per cent of Italy’s crystal production and 15 per cent of global production. The Crystal Museum (Museo del Cristallo), situated in this lower part of the town, displays a collection of handmade crystal glassware dating from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. It also provides a detailed explanation of the manufacturing techniques. The museum is underground, beneath a former glassworks where the furnaces once stood. After learning a little about the history of crystal, do take a stroll through the local shops.
The River Elsa is a refreshing spot for picnics and swimming. A nature trail has been created in the SentierElsa riverside park, situated between the points (6) and (7). Here you can see the remains of the early medieval hydraulic system that tamed and channelled the River Elsa. This system, known locally as ‘le Gore’, was first used to power mills and later played a major role in the town’s early industrialisation. A plaque by the riverbank indicates that these hydraulic installations were refurbished in 1606, under the rule of the Grand Dukes of Medici. Also worth seeing are the thermal springs known as ‘Caldane’, ancient thermal baths dating from the Etruscan-Roman period, to the south of the site (8).

(11) Mulino de Le Vene: In July 1564, Grand Duke Cosimo I purchased several milling buildings situated in the Community of Colle, including those in Le Vene. Management of the mill was entrusted to the Florence Flour Office, which sought to derive the greatest possible profit from the purchase by imposing fines on anyone who disrupted the proper functioning of the canals. A hundred years later, the mill was purchased by the Sienese Lattanzio Biringucci and later by the Venturi Gallerani family. Behind the mill, there are weirs, spillways and dams which were used to increase the water pressure required to power the mills at Calcinaia and Le Nove, as well as certain mills in Colle. Inside, there were three ‘palmenti’, or three pairs of millstones, which were driven by wooden cranks housed in the lower part of the mill. In the 1825 Leopoldino land register, plot no. 888 identified the mill, which covered an area of 1,100 square braccia. The building was therefore rather small. At the start of the 20th century, the building underwent significant changes with the addition of a paper mill, the enlargement of the grounds and the extension of the miller’s residence; these alterations transformed the complex into an elegant Neo-Renaissance palace, in the style of those found in Colle. The mill ceased operations around 1940, whilst the paper mill continued to operate until 1970. The buildings are currently owned by the Episcopal Seminary of Siena and have partially collapsed. Inside the paper mill, the molasses, the vats for cooking the pulp used to make paper, and the numerous pulleys used to drive the machinery via hydraulic power are still visible. Owing to the uniqueness of the complex, all the buildings are subject to conservation restrictions imposed by the Superintendency.

(16) Small rural heritage sites in the Valdelsa: Fonte Sant’Antonio (an old fountain near the hamlet of Fabbrica, which appears abandoned and partly overgrown) and the small chapel, the Oratorio della Pietà e Munificenza dei Nobili Signori Venturi Gallerani (a pious donation by a local noble family for private devotion).

In Quartaia (17), you can take a short detour through the village to admire:

• Torre di Quartaia: a medieval tower, a remnant of a defensive system and a means of controlling the territory.
• Chiesa dei Santi Jacopo e Filippo: the hamlet’s parish church, of Romanesque origin, dedicated to Saints James (Jacopo) and Philip (Filippo).

  In the Synod of Volterra in 1356, it was referred to under the patronage of San Cerbone before taking on its current patronage of Saints James and Philip.

(22) Abbey of Our Lady of Conèo (Abbazia di Santa Maria Assunta a Conèo): founded around the year 1000 as a Benedictine monastery, it subsequently passed to the Vallombrosan Order between 1073 and 1076, which influenced its architecture and monastic life. Built in the Romanesque style, simple yet elegant, and constructed from blocks of white travertine, the large abbey church was built after 1108 and consecrated in 1124, in the presence of several bishops (from Volterra, Anagni and Acqui). Notable original features include corbels supporting the half-columns, which reflect French/Burgundian influences (via the Cistercians of Latium), and a segmented dome on an octagonal tambour, reminiscent of other churches in the Valdelsa. Over time, the abbey lost some of its importance (from around the 15th century onwards), but remained a landmark in the landscape and in local religious life. It became a parish church in 1576, serving a small community (around 150 inhabitants). Between 1920 and 1922, restoration work removed the Baroque additions to restore the church to its current Romanesque appearance. Today, due to the depopulation of the area, the church is often closed. However, its exterior and the surrounding countryside are well worth a visit.

(25) View of San Gimignano (looking north-east), which stands proudly atop a hill, overlooking the Tuscan countryside with the silhouette of a ‘medieval Manhattan’, its stone towers silhouetted against the horizon. You can immediately make out its 14 towers, including the 54-metre-high Torre Grossa, which seem to rise up from the colourful rooftops and centuries-old ramparts. It is an almost intact 13th-century sight, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which stands out clearly amongst the surrounding hills, vineyards and cypress trees.