Colle Val d’Elsa and Crystal

Colle has maintained its ancient charm,staying safely off the beaten path of mass tourism

Colle Val d’Elsa is a town in the heart of the Valdelsa, an area fought over for centuries by historic rivals, Siena and Florence.  Colle has maintained its ancient charm,staying safely off the beaten path of mass tourism.  In among its lovely churches, its Medieval towers, its ancient houses, such as that of architect and sculptor Arnolfo di Cambio, a famed native son, and its Renaissance palazzi and roads rising along the ridge,  examples of contemporary art may be spotted throughout, especially those of architect Jean Nouvel.  Particularly noteworthy museums here are the Diocesan Museum housing the works of renowned painter Cennino Cennini who created the Book of Art, the Ranuccio Bianchi Bandinelli Archaeological Museum, and above all the Museum of Crystal, which recounts the history and evolution of the most illustrious local product, for it is here that more than 90 percent of Italian crystal is produced.