Back to the First Part (the Borgo of Santa Catarina).

Continuing our walk we reach the Palazzo Campana, gateway to the oldest part of the town of Colle Val d'Elsa, the so-called Castle of Piticciano.

Palazzo Campana was built from 1539 by Giuliano di Baccio d'Agnolo, but its construction was not completed, the building is in the Mannerist style and its door leads into the picturesque Via del Castello where are some interesting buildings including the Palazzo del Capitano (16th century), the tower-house Marozzi (14th century) and Palazzo Giusti (15th century). From here you enter the Piazza del Duomo. 

In the Piazza del Duomo are several buildings of historical interest, coming from via del Castello from our own left clockwise are: Giusti Palace (15th century), Palazzo Pretorio (1335) with beautiful facade decorated with many coats of arms and today seat of the Archaeological Museum, we find therefore, the powerful quadrangular Bell tower of the Cathedral (17th century) and the neoclassic facade of the Cathedral (17th-19th century), the three-nave interior contains some works of art, including a pulpit marble of 1465, and in the Cappella del Chiodo a renaissance railing and a marble tabernacle, a bronze crucifix on the altar is by Giambologna. Also in the Piazza del Duomo are the buildings of the Episcopal Palace and the Palace of the People with an adjacent fountain. From here starts also the tunnel of via delle Volte. 

Continuing along the via del Castello we find on the right the Palace of the Priori, seat of the Civic and Sacred Art Museum, with a facade with a 15th century graffito decoration. A little further, on the left is the Teatro dei Varii, in origin (13th century) a former hospital along the via Francigena, with mullioned windows with central columns. Then we arrive in Piazza Santa Maria in Canonica, where is the church of Santa Maria in Canonica (12th century) in Pisan-Romanesque style with beautiful rose-window in brick, inside in addition to a tabernacle attributed to Pier Francesco Fiorentino are also remains of frescoes. The church tower houses, the Martinella, the bell ringing on a sienese "carroccio", taken by Colle Guelph at the Battle of Colle in 1269.

In the last tract of via del Castello are located various medieval house-towers, this is one of the most picturesque and characteristic angles of Colle Val d'Elsa. Between the house-towers are that of Lorenzo Lippi (15th century) and that one where the tradition wants that was born Arnolfo di Cambio (13th century), famous sculptor and architect (he projected, for example, Palazzo Vecchio in Florence). We arrived finally at the Baluardo, a bastion of the city walls which offers a magnificent panorama of Colle Bassa.

From here you can descend down towards Colle Bassa through the modern elevator placed in the center of the bastion or along the pedestrian road called "La Costa". Another possibility is to return towards the medieval town passing through via delle Romite and then via di Mezzo, we reach the picturesque Via delle Volte, a tunnel about 100 meters long in the heart of Colle.

SEARCH FOR ACCOMMODATION IN COLLE VAL D'ELSA:

Palazzo Campana, the gateway to the oldest part of the town of Colle Val d'Elsa
Palazzo del Popolo, Colle Val d'Elsa, Siena	Palazzo del Teatro dei Varii, Colle Val d'Elsa, Siena	Palazzo dei Priori, seat of the Museo Civico, Colle Val d'Elsa
The Bulwark, Colle Val d'Elsa, Siena	The scenic via delle Volte, Colle Val d'Elsa, Siena	Typical via, Colle Val d'Elsa, Siena
The Medieval via del Castello, Colle Val d'Elsa, Siena