This tower, built on the top of Bengodi hill, was clearly built to protect the bay of Talamone from possible attacks.
According to the writers Ademollo, Caciagli, Cammarosano and Passeri, the King of Spain, Philip 4th, in 1572, during the vice kingdom of Cardinal Granvelle, ordered the construction of the tower which had apparently started to be built in the middle of the hill. Later, due to the lack of visibility from that particular position, the tower was moved to a higher location where the building work was completed.
It seems that the very beginning of the work occurred later, as the documentation of the financial year 1585-1586 reports only a first payment 4 to a Jacopo of Massa Carrara; a second one was only made in 1587, as again shown in the documents. It is also important to notice that ten years have got to be regarded as a considerable amount of time for such a modest type of building.
Whether or not contemporary to the other towers, this building differentiates from the others for its circular shape, although it has the same base, surmounted by a ridge.
The external stairs, in brickwork with a drawbridge, reflect the local standards. Another difference is in the arches which crown the top, with an embrasure every two spaces. The embrasures are positioned in correspondence of the openings.
In the report written by Don Carlos Blom in 1737, the optimal visibility from the tower is pointed out; from there it was possible to control the sea up to Santo Stefano Harbour ( Porto Santo Stefano), the Isle of Giglio ( Isola del Giglio) and Longone Port ( Porto Longone). There is a path that leads to Cannelle tower through which these two towers are therefore well connected.
In 1806 the building was probably in bad conditions as one can understand by reading a report in which it is written that it should be restored to enable at least four people to be accommodated in the building ( in the original Italian “ dovrebbe essere resarcita in modo da poter ospitare almeno Quattro persone”).
In a map drawn up by the land surveyor Bechi in 1814, and called Map of Orbetello and Grosseto Coast ( Pianta del Litorale Orbetellano e Grossetano), which is still extremely well preserved and easy to read, the tower of Capo D’Uomo is signalled along with the other ones of the Park.
In Leopold’ Land Register ( Catasto Leopoldino) it is the property of The Imperial and Royal Fabbriche ( Imperiali and Regie Fabbriche) and is simply signed as tower of around three hundred and sixty four squared ells; the cadastral map was drawn up in 1824 by the Land-surveyor Luigi Baglini and the corresponding heading is n. 100.
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