The city of Colossae was in Asia Minor (modern Turkey), in the region of Phrygia, inland from Ephesus. There were residents of Phrygia at Pentecost (Acts 2: 5-12) and Paul traveled through Phrygia in Acts 16 (see Acts 16:6) on Paul's second missionary journey, enroute to Greece.
While in prison (probably in Rome?) Paul wrote a letter to the church in Colossae.
The Colossians letter is concerned with a high view of the work of Jesus and with various heresies and philosophies floating around the Gentile churches.
Paul's letter to the Colossians has a lot in common with his letter to the Ephesians. Some (Bob Utley, for example) have suggested that Colossians was written before Ephesians and that Ephesians expands on the themes in the book of Colossians. In both books, Paul lays out a high view of Christ as eternal Creator. In both he describes his prayer for the readers, emphasizing their growth in understanding their position in Christ. In both he has a short set of instructions on relationships. There are enough parallels that one can set out a careful list of parallels between the two letters; see here. A more general exposition on these parallels between the two letters is here.
As for resources for the book of Colossians, I like the material at OverviewBible -- here is their link on Colossians. There is, of course, a nice summary at the Bible Project, including a a 9 minute video that I recommend as a nice easy introduction.
At the end of Colossians, Paul explains that Tychichus and Onesimus are carrying the letter to Colossae. It turns out that Onesimus is carrying another letter, one written to his former slave-owner, Philemon. In that letter, Paul urges Philemon to free Onesimus. I wonder what Onesimus thought as he carried both letters.... Paul clearly has a high view of Onesimus, and the very fact that we have both letters preserved in the New Testament is evidence that the faithfulness of Onesimus was honored.
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