Bienno, also known as the “Village of the Seven Towers,” still preserves four of the defensive structures typical of the late medieval period in nearly perfect condition.

These structures served primarily defensive purposes; the square-shaped walls were very thick, which reduced the living spaces and the number of windows facing the village.

These windows, in addition to providing a view of the village, served as entrances, thanks to ladders lowered from the window closest to the street.

This prevented potential external attacks, as there were no entrance gates that could be broken down; in dangerous situations, the tower’s inhabitants simply had to pull up the access ladders.

Continuing along Via Castello, a visit to Torre Bontempi is a must.

This structure differs from those encountered so far because it belongs to a different historical era, when the village had gradually become more compact; the need, therefore, was no longer to defend a single feudal family but the entire village.

The tower thus became part of a collective defensive system—a “city gate”—which, once closed, was impassable.

A distinctive feature of this tower is the dovecote at the top; ventilated by small square holes, it features the characteristic triangular openings that allowed the birds access.

(The proposed itinerary is an excerpt from the research conducted by architects Giorgio Azzoni and Virtus Zallot and from the fourth volume of *Arte in Valcamonica* by Araldo Bertolini and Gaetano Panazza)