About Us

As any of my compatriots will tell you, our concept of self begins with our birthplace and expands outward. I am first passionately Sienese, then deeply Tuscan, then emphatically Italian (European? I'm working on that!). My family has lived in various zones of Siena, a walled town dating back to the middle ages, for hundreds of years. When I resided for brief periods of time in other countries, homesickness for Tuscan sights, sounds and smells was like a physical ache. Like most Italians, I am deeply attached to our landscape, architecture, art, cuisine and customs -- and to enjoying life to the fullest. I love to cook, to linger talking with friends after (no lingering during) a meal, to debate local politics, soccer, and according to my wife, almost any subject, for the love of discussion itself.

I've always been a history buff -- wherever I am, I want to know more about those who previously inhabited the space around me. A convenient obsession for a tour operator, this keeps my enthusiasm for the job constant and means that when my customers return to Tuscany, I have discovered or rediscovered new corners of the region to explore with them. Of course, I enjoy reading about the history and art of Tuscany, but I often learn the most intriguing facts and legends about a given area from long talks with the locals in the piazza.

Unlike most of my fellow Sienese, however, I have lived abroad and have come to understand and appreciate non-Italian mentalities and ways of life, too. I'm grateful for the chance to share the magic of Italy with foreign friends, and look forward to counting you among them!

How Tours by Roberto was Started

Family-owned businesses are a way of life for many Italians, and while he was growing up, Roberto participated in his family's varied endeavors: making wine, running restaurants, and working in small shops in or around Siena, Italy. Eighty percent of their customers were tourists from all over the world, and Roberto often ended up chatting with them at length, especially the Americans.

Though he loved their openness and curiosity about Tuscan and Italian culture, it frequently seemed that tourists, Americans in particular, came to the area on "package tours," with hurried and stressful schedules: one day in Florence, one day in Rome, a day in Venice, and so on. They never stayed in a single town for more than three consecutive days.

Sometimes, Roberto managed to convince these new friends to stay on in the Siena area, and "played guide" for them, forming treasured friendships, learning English, and getting to know about American culture. One group of American tourists who happened to stay a month and a half, included Patti Robison (now Mrs. Roberto Bechi!). We were married in 1990. Eventually, it occurred to both of us that Roberto should turn his gift of gab, love and knowledge of his region into a career -- and Tours By Roberto, Inc., a Virginia company, was born.

 

Email: info@toursbyroberto.com
toursbyroberto@gmail.com

Telephone- 011-39-320-1476590
Facsimile- 011-39-0577-717292

Tours By Roberto, Inc.
c/o Patricia Bechi
Podere Casalciccia 17
Località Vescona
53041 Asciano SI Italy

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