Monteriggioni and Colle Val d'Elsa and virtual guided bike tour

Colle di Val d'Elsa is a fascinating Tuscan village developed in the Middle Ages along the Via Francigena. The historic center preserves medieval walls, tower houses, and palaces, while the city has been famous for glass and crystal working for centuries. Arnolfo di Cambio was also born here, a famous medieval architect and sculptor.

The River Park of Alta Val d'Elsa, also known as SentierElsa, follows the course of the Elsa river near Colle di Val d'Elsa. The path crosses forests, waterfalls, and characteristic turquoise pools, shaped by limestone over time. Ancient mills, weirs, and hydraulic works also testify to the long link between the river and the productive activities of the valley.

Abbadia a Isola is a small village born along the Via Francigena, historically linked to the passage of pilgrims, merchants, and travelers. The name "a Isola" recalls the ancient marshy landscape that surrounded the abbey, making it appear like an island among waters and fields. The heart of the village is the Abbey of Saints Salvatore and Cirino, founded in the Middle Ages as a place of hospitality and spiritual reference along the way to Rome.

Monteriggioni is one of the most fascinating fortified villages in Tuscany. Built in the 13th century as a defensive outpost of the Republic of Siena, it still retains its medieval wall circuit and the towers that dominate the Val d'Elsa. Also mentioned by Dante in the Divine Comedy, the village houses stone buildings, a compact square, and narrow streets that preserve an authentic and timeless atmosphere.

Grown along a branch of the Via Francigena, it was contested for centuries between Florence and Siena. Its symbol is the Rocca di Staggia, expanded in the Middle Ages and reinforced in the fifteenth century also with the intervention of Filippo Brunelleschi.

Its position, along an important road between Florence, Siena, and the Via Francigena, made it a strategic point for the control and defense of the territory. Walls, towers, and the compact structure still retain the austere and military character of the complex today, a testament to the role it played in the Middle Ages among borders, travelers, merchants, and soldiers.