The
road leaves Casole and passes through orchards, grape vines and olives groves.
Just
outside of Casole on the road to the Val d'Elsa pass is the church of San Nicolò
which is well worth the side trip necessary to visit it.
The
church is considered by some to be a reconstruction of the ancient crypt of the Parish
church at Casole. The presence of a fresco dating from the second half of the 14th.C. is
evidence of the ancient origins of this building.
Later
a portico was added to further beautify the façade of the building.
The
inside of the building is formed by a long transverse aisle divided into three areas by
arches, the arches descend to capstones which are simply decorated and rest in their turn
on columns.
The
walls are decorated with frescos and are in a very poor state of repair. The oldest were
painted by Vincenzo and Francesco Rustici at the beginning of the second decade of the
7th.C.
The
road for Mensano is built on ancient tracks which follow and respect the lie of the land.
The way rises and falls gently and is by no means hard going...
...Short
straightaways and long curves follow the ridge which delineates the watersheds of
the valley d'Elsa and the valley of Cecina.
The
orchards, grape vines and olive groves which characterize the outskirts of Casole...
...The
traveller is offered a series of suggestive scenic views.
To
the right the Senna Valley and then the Valley of Cecina.
...to
the left the upper reaches of the valley d'Elsa.
This
is a lightly populated land dominated by fields and woods...
...The
farm houses, and the farmers, are few and far between.
The
villages castled on the tops of the hills, surrounded by ancient walls seem look
suspiciously at each other while timidly waiting for the imperial troops of the Marquise
of Marignano to arrive and
when the soldiers arrive the walls pay mute testimony to history.
The
visual impression is often hard and severe.
Softened
from time to time by sweetly scenic country views...
...in
these vistas the hand of man is clearly visible.
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