Among the numerous places of worship in Empoli, the Collegiata of Sant' Andrea is the most ancient and the most important. Its origins have not been well defined, yet. It houses a Museum that is mainly composed of works coming from the church.

An indirect source, called the "anonimo Empolese" by the historians, reports some data on the Collegiata in one document talking of the Spanish siege in Empoli in 1530.
According to the historical reconstruction made by this anonymous person, who was probably a canon, the "plebe di Sant'Andrea" dates to the end of the V century A.D., and, therefore, it could be considered one of the most ancient in Tuscany. This information has also been confirmed by a document of the year 840, where the names of the parish priests of Empoli are listed. They are eight, a number that leads to hypothesize that this structure had been used for more than a century.
A recent archaeological excavation has unearthed some finds (among them there are some tombs) that confirm such possibility.
The first known document, where the Collegiata of Empoli is cited, dates to the year 1059. It is a bull by the pope Nicholas II allowing a parish priest to raise the taxes and the revenues of the country instead of the Counts Guidi and Alberti. From an inscription on the façade, it can be inferred that the current structure of the Collegiata was carried out around the year 1093. One century later, the façade was decorated in white and green marble according to the Romanesque-Florentine style of the church of San Miniato al Monte, with which there was a similarity even before further changes were made.
In effect, in 1735, the church was thoroughly restructured under the supervision of the architect Ferdinando Ruggeri, who modified some of its peculiar aspects. Thus, the façade assumed its current squared shape. The roof was lifted, but, unfortunately, the division in two aisles and one nave was not created. Further changes were carried out in the XIX century and they concerned the front as well as the gable's displacement and extension.
The Collegiata keeps some important works of art on the inside. The "Madonna in trono fra i Santi Martino, Andrea, Agata e Giovanni Battista" by Lorenzo Bicci can be admired over the high altar. Moreover, the museum inside the church is enriched with numerous liturgical objects and illuminated codes of the most different periods.