Colle on Montalbano: Church, Via Crucis and Circular Trail

Colle lies on the slopes of Montalbano in the southern part of the municipality of Quarrata. Its rural settlement pattern, the church of Santa Maria Assunta and the Anello della Furba circular trail give the area several distinct points of interest. When planning your trip, you can explore its local history, religious traditions or a hike in Montalbano. The details below will help you put these aspects into context.

Landscape and settlement pattern

Colle’s landscape has a consistent topography, is of high ecological value and consists almost entirely of open land. The rural settlement pattern is dispersed: rural buildings are situated along Via Fontemorana e Spazzavento, Via di Colle and Via dei Mattarelli. Both the open landscape and the scattered buildings are therefore part of the area’s character.

Despite later building extensions, the historic settlement pattern has remained largely unchanged. To understand Colle, look beyond individual historic buildings: the roads mentioned above and the rural surroundings also help define the area. Via di Colle is also the setting for a distinctive feature of its religious history.

Church and religious history

The church of Santa Maria Assunta dates back to the 13th century. It houses a relic of the Sacra Spina, which has been in Colle since 1920. The church and the relic thus represent two different points in time in the area’s religious tradition.

The Via Crucis consists of fourteen tabernacles along scenic Via di Colle. They were built in 1937 on the commission of several parish families. Together with the church, the tabernacles offer another historic point of interest in Colle, one that is not limited to a single building.

The parish’s history also includes its former affiliation with San Jacopo a Capezzana, from which it separated, and its dependence on the Pieve di Bacchereto. These church connections add the parish’s institutional development to the history of Santa Maria Assunta.

Festa della Sacra Spina

The Festa della Sacra Spina is a traditional religious event associated with the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, celebrated on 14 September. The event itself may take place on a different date. Beyond its religious origins, the Festa has developed into an event featuring social and cultural activities; the programme also varies. If you want to plan your stay around the festival, check the date for the year in question. 14 September is the religious observance, not necessarily the date of the event.

For travel planning, these aspects raise different questions: for the Festa, the specific date matters, while the route and approximate distance help you plan for the Anello della Furba. Each offers a different way to experience Colle; the tradition and the hike are not the same kind of travel experience.

Anello della Furba

The Anello della Furba is a circular trail in Montalbano, with starting points in the municipalities of Quarrata and Carmignano. Its route passes through Colle and is about six kilometres long. Along the way, it follows the Torrente Furba for part of the route. The approximate distance refers to the entire circular trail; the stretch beside the stream is only one part of the route.

You can explore Colle through both its religious history and a specific walking route through the landscape of Montalbano. The church, the relic that has been in Colle since 1920 and the tabernacles built in 1937 are lasting historic points of interest. The Festa, by contrast, takes place on a date that may vary. For the circular trail, you have an approximate total distance and the information that it follows the Torrente Furba for part of the way.

Discover more destinations: Carmignano, Prato, Poggio A Caiano, Cantagallo, Vernio, Vaiano, Montemurlo, Fornacelle

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