In medieval times in Volterra, Tuscany, it was custom for rival families to compete to construct buildings. The higher the tower, the wealthier the family. To this day, the vestiges of this contest — the "dynasty towers" — remain visible in many Tuscan towns. Wealth is not important in the tactical game Volterra. Here, the towers rise upwards thanks to the tactical skill of the master builders. The pieces in play are stacked on top of each other, step by step. The play counters do their utmost to defend towers of their own color. Building continues on the shrinking play area until no counters can move. Now, who is sitting atop the highest tower? —description from the publisher