Santa Colomba: Via Francigena, Art and History

Via Francigena and Hermitage

The Eremo di San Leonardo al Lago is located in Santa Colomba, along one of the routes of the Via Francigena and among holm oak and oak forests. This place brings together a tangible connection to the route and a forest landscape. The hermitage also has its own historical dimension: the earliest reliable evidence of a hermit community there dates to 1112. This date is an early reference point for the history of religious life in Santa Colomba; as the earliest reliable evidence, it should not automatically be taken as the year of foundation. For travelers interested in history and landscape, the site can be understood in terms of both its location and the community’s history.

Castle and Villa

Another historical reference is the former castle of Santa Colomba. It was severely damaged in 1364 when the company of Giovanni Acuto passed through. The Villa di Santa Colomba was built much later. Pandolfo Petrucci had it built between the late 15th and early 16th centuries; medieval masonry remains are preserved in its foundations. The villa thus combines a later construction period with older building fabric, while the castle is chiefly placed in the history of the area through the event of 1364.

The dates refer to different things: 1112 is the earliest reliable evidence of the hermit community, 1364 is a specific event affecting the castle, and the villa’s construction period is a span of time. A year of documented evidence, a damaging event and a construction phase are not equivalent kinds of dates. This distinction helps place Santa Colomba’s historical reference points in chronological context.

The villa is privately owned and can only be viewed from the outside. If you plan to include it in your itinerary, expect to see it from outside and check this visiting condition again before your visit.

Art in Two Churches

Two church connections should be distinguished when considering the artworks. The Church of Saints Colomba and Giacomo contains valuable 14th-century frescoes associated with Duccio’s circle. The phrase “associated with his circle” is an art-historical classification and does not attribute the frescoes personally to Duccio. In the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Santa Colomba, an Annunciation by Ambrogio Lorenzetti is located on the left wall. Here, the focus is on a single work, its subject, the artist and its position on the wall. The frescoes, by contrast, are a group of works classified by their period and association with Duccio’s circle. The two art-historical connections therefore differ both in the type of work and in how they are classified.

When choosing a destination, you can weigh two priorities: architectural history, with the castle and villa, or art, with the different church connections.

Discover more destinations: Borgonuovo, Lornano, Tognazza, Belverde, Strove, Castellina Scalo

For the broader travel overview: Monteriggioni.