Cycling from Chiusi to the lake
On the Sentiero della Bonifica, by bicycle
This journey begins in the city’s train station, and passes between the twin historic towers of Beccati Questo and Beccati Quello to eventually arrive at the lake. Pedal on, though, and you catch sight of the city of Montepulciano.
You start cycling at the Chiusi railway station and soon come to the start of the path. The route begins at the dam, built upon an agreement in 1780 between the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and the Papal States: it represented the border between the Tuscan Chiana, which flows towards the Arno, and the Roman Chiana, which falls towards the Tiber. Not far from here stands the Papal Lock, which, before the construction of the dam, regulated the water that flowed from Lake Chiusi to the Tiber.
Leaving the Chiusi hills behind us, we arrive soon enough at the twin towers, Beccati Questo and Beccati Quello (literally “take this” and “take that”). The former was built in 1427 by the Sienese as a defensive measure against the territorial claims of the Perugians, who then immediately erected the latter. Even today, they seem to mark the border between Tuscany and Umbria.
The journey takes you through an environment of extraordinary ecological value: you are, indeed, cycling in the heart of the green areas around the Lake of Chiusi and the Lake of Montepulciano immediately after, perfect places at which to have a pleasant rest. The lakes are left over from the ancient marshes.
The Lake of Chiusi is also where the legendary flight of Santa Mustiola took place: pursued and imprisoned by the emperor, she succeeded in reaching the lake by fashioning her cloak into a sort of boat, which carried her over the water. The legend goes on to say that on July 3, at night, you can see Santa Mustiola’s golden wake in the water.
The lakes of Chiusi and Montepulciano are ideal destinations for nature enthusiasts and birdwatchers, who find themselves in the realm of herons, ducks, little egrets and little bitterns. Along this part of the path, you enter the lake’s most peaceful, silent stretch, as you wind through the luxuriant, humid areas among poplars and willows. Near the Lake of Montepulciano, the point of reference for nature lovers and bird life is the LIPU (Association for the Protection of Birds) Oasis, which offers its visitors huts and platforms for birdwatching, as well as the chance to go for a boat ride over the lake.
