"Two towers, not particularly flashy, but with a truly interesting and centuries-old history.

The Tower of Beccati Questo was built by the Sienese in 1279, following a Guelph victory over the Ghibellines, to symbolize their dominion over the marshy lands located right on the border between Siena and Perugia. The symbol of their dominion was not only the construction of the tower, but also the name itself, "Beccati Questo," as if the Sienese were mocking the Perugians, saying, "And now, take this blow." In response, a few years later, the Perugians retaliated by building a slightly taller and larger tower on the opposite bank, slightly raised on a small hill. They called it the Tower of Beccati Quest'altro (or Beccati Quello), in retaliation to the Sienese, mocking them in turn. This "bickering" never escalated into open warfare between the two towers, which were instead used as toll stations, that is, to collect tolls from those crossing this stretch of the Valdichiana.

Fun fact 1: The Beccati Questo Tower, built lower down, is currently largely buried. Why? Because that area, already unhealthy before, began to end up under the marshy waters of the Valdichiana at the end of the 1400s following the diversion of the Tresa, Rio Maggiore, and Lake Trasimeno streams by the Papal States. Subsequent reclamation of that marshland meant that about a third of the tower remained buried.

Fun fact 2: But why did conflicts escalate in that area to the point of trying to outdo one another by even building towers overlooking each other, and what is its connection with the Valdichiana? Aside from the fact that the border between Tuscany and Umbria still passes within those few meters separating the Beccati Questo and Beccati Quest'altro towers, and that the borderlands have never been such a peaceful place, the other critical issue was due to the conformation of that place, which, being marshy, left little room for countryside, which consequently became a particularly precious land to defend. More precisely, that territory became marshy in the Middle Ages around the middle of the year 1000, following the construction of a dam on the Clanis River; as a result, the Clanis River quickly first filled its bed and then overflowed, flooding and swamping the surrounding lands of the Clanis Valley, which is now known as the Valdichiana."

Roberto Mugnaini

"I stopped by this place, which also happens to be on the border with Tuscany and Umbria, after 20 years. Beautiful places, nearby you can visit Lake Chiusi and Lake Trasimeno. No reservations or tickets required."

Carmelo Toledo

"More interesting than the artifacts is the history (or legend) of these two towers."

Roberto Castellani