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Le Grazie, Sant'Andrea, San Marziale, Onci, Gracciano, Santa Giulia, Collalto, Canonica, Mensanello, Lano, Quartaia
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The route of this walk, among hills and small country parish churches, begins at Le Grazie, west of Colle itself, at the crossroads between state road 28 leading to Volterra and the provincial road for Casole d'Elsa.
We take the road for Casole (Casole d’Elsa), and after a few meters we turn off left, where, still skirting the residential area, we head towards Sant'Andrea.
The Romanesque church of Sant'Andrea was built along one of the most important sections of the Via Francigena: referred to as long ago as 1115, it has now been incorporated within the buildings of the small hamlet from which it takes its name.
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Returning to the main road, we return toward the lower town, until we get to the intersection with state road 541, which we join, turning right, heading towards Gracciano.
Crossing the bridge over the Elsa (designed by Arnolfo di Cambio, according to tradition), we find San Marziale.
Here we can still see the Steccaia and the Callone Reale, an adjustable dam which is designed to divert part of the waters into a special channel, by means of a full-scale system of conduits, knows as 'gore', which used to criss-cross the town of Colle, providing the driving force for mills and paper-works.
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From San Marziale one arrives at Gracciano, and from here, via a short turn-off to the right, the hamlet of Onci, near which stands a famous mill which uses the water of the gore.
Beyond Gracciano one reaches the ancient Roman baths at Le Caldane, which are supplied by a thermal spring. Further on, one reaches the crossroads at the Santa Giulia bridge, which we cross by bearing right.
Once over the bridge, we continue along the state road along the valley for around 5 km, in the open countryside with the river Elsa winding alongside: one can follow the line of the river amid the dense, tunnel-like vegetation, composed mainly of poplars and willows, lining the banks.
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The valley, which at first is broad and cultivated, suddenly becomes narrow and wooded: in this short gulley we find on the left the turning for Collalto, which stands on a hill among a dense wood of oak trees.
The road continues, and after around 1.5 km we come to an unsurfaced road on the right leading to Canonica. On this site, which is also known as Paurano, there stood a church as far back as the beginning of the 11th century. As of 1048 this church became a canonical church, by order of Guinildo di Ildebrando and his family. In 1602 documents once again give the name of the church as Santa Maria a Paurano.
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The building was later incorporated into some farm buildings, and today only a few, haunting signs of the former building remain.
After visiting this site, we return to the main road and go back to the Santa Giulia bridge.
Just before the bridge itself, we turn left onto the provincial road to Mensanello. The road immediately ascends the left slope of the valley, passing through dense oak woods.
We come out into open countryside, and soon reach the hamlet of Mensanello, where the small church of Santa Maria stands. The church dates to the 10th century, but was restored in the neo-Romanesque style.
The road continues amid gently rolling hills and farmland, passing through Lano, and slowly approaches Casole d'Elsa, which stands out clearly on the nearby hills.
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At the centre of the village stands the church of San Niccolò, with its single nave and apse. The facade includes a large arch above the main door, and a roundlet window, and is decorated in two-tone bands, which, like the apse, is a style which is a special feature of the area between Volterra and Siena in the 13th century, the period when the church was built.
We go on further as far as the junction with the road leading to Casole d'Elsa: here we need to turn right to return to Colle, passing through the small residential district of Quartaia.
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"Nothing great has ever been achieved in the world without passion."
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Philosopher (1770-1831)
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