Colle di Val d'Elsa Things to Do Tips by BruceDunning

There is an upper and lower part to the town. It it rather quite due to most people live here and apparently go somewhere else to work in daytime. A lot of old nonnas in the doorways, and not bothered by tourists walking around.

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The pure joy of this city is that the streets, or vias are not occupied by tourists, and all seem quite, clean and peaceful. WE walked a number of these streets, and one leads into another from an arched vaulted path that goes under a house of a resident. Some of the houses litterly hang out over the hillside.
The city is relatively new by Italian standards, only from the 10th century. It started to flourish in the 12th century from mills that ran along the River Else nearby. Eventually around the 13th century the town evolved into a lead glass making empire. It now makes 15% of the world's crystal glass. It is all delightful to see and buy. Some of the most famous artists in this industry reside here, and proudly present their items, and will talk to you about the trade and the making of each. There is a lead crystal museum in an underground area behind the Duomo in the main piazza.

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Website: http://www.abctuscany.com/siena/colle-val-delsa/photo.cfm

The city has a lead glass museum and a museum of religious and civic art. The crystal glass museum is fabulous and worth a slow trip to imagine all the intricate work going into the making of this glass. The art in the religious museum is okay, and is in the Palazzo Pretorio right in the main Piazzo Duomo. They are all side by side; the duomo, the palace, and the clock tower. Colle Bassa is the main shopping area. It is not large, and that is the ambiance of it all.

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