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On the left bank of the river Elsa, between Poggibonsi and S. Gimignano, lies the medieval town of Colle Val d’Elsa.
Spread over three levels, it was built between the X and XIII century and it has been a bustling manufacturing hub from its origins to the present day. The exploitation of waterpower from the River Elsa contributed to the development and success of paper mills, textile workshops and crystal factories (since the XIX century). This production maintained unchanged over the years: presently Colle Val d’Elsa provides the 14% of the crystal sold in the whole world.
Our Professional Guides will take you down hill to the lower (and oldest) part of the town, the so called nucleo di Piano, and also on top of the hill to the districts of Castello and Borgo, thanks to a very modern lift that connects Colle Bassa to the top of the hill.
The Medieval architectural fabric is very well preserved and characterized by old XIV/XV century villas. The guided tour of Colle Val d’Elsa continues along Via delle Volte, a picturesque and covered 100 m walkway (approx.); after visiting the old town, our guides will show you the city museums and their collections: the Crystal Museum, the Civic Museum, the Sacred Art Museum, the Archaeological Museum Ranuccio Bianchi Bandinelli, with its great historic, artistic and often unique finds.
From an opening close to S. Maria in Canonica you will be able to finally see the massive Bulwark and Arnolfo di Cambio’s tower-house: according to tradition, the thirteenth-century building was the birthplace (in 1245) of the great Arnolfo di Cambio, the architect of Florence’s Cathedral and Palace of the Signoria.
The processing of crystal is a charming and splendid art: thanks to our Professional Guides you will be able to visit one of the most famous handmade crystal factory of Colle Val d’Elsa, where a skilled glassmaker will show you the several stages of crystal processing. This visit will take place in the morning (from 8:30 am to 11:00 am approx.) because the most important stages of crystal processing are carried out in the early hours.
We remind you that the visit of Colle di Val d’Elsa can be matched to a guided tour of some of the most fascinating Tuscan cities, such as Siena, San Gimignano, Volterra, Monteriggioni and Abbadia a Isola, Castellina in Chianti, Poggibonsi, Certaldo, Abbey of San Galgano, San Vivaldo (The Holy Mount and Jerusalem of Tuscany).
