EMPOLI  , a

town of Tuscany, Italy, in the province of Florence, from which it is 20 M . W. by S. by rail . Pop . (1901) .7005 (town); 20,301 (commune) . It is situated 89 ft. above sea-level, to the S. of the Arno . The principal church, the Collegiata, or Pieve di S . Andrea, founded in 1093, still preserves the lower part of the original arcaded facade in black, white and coloured marble . The works of art which it once contained are most of them preserved in a gallery close by . Some of the other churches contain interesting works of art . The principal square is surrounded by old houses with arcades . The painter Jacopo Chimenti (Jacopo da Empoli), 1554-1640, was born here . Empoli is on the main railway line from Florence to Pisa, and is the point of divergence of a line to Siena .