Giacomo and Giovanni Battista Tocci Italian brothers, conjoined twins Country: Italy

Biography of Giacomo and Giovanni Battista Tocci

Giacomo and Giovanni Battista Tocci were Italian conjoined twins who gained fame as performers. They were particularly renowned after being featured in Mark Twain's story "Those Extraordinary Twins."

The twins were born to their 19-year-old mother, Maria Luigia Mezzanrosa, with their bodies fused together. They had two heads, four arms, two legs, and a single lower body. Despite their physical condition, they were named Giacomo and Giovanni, and their parents saw the potential to earn money from their unique situation.

At an early age, the brothers began performing and toured various cities in Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Poland, and France. While some doctors believed the twins would not live long, others provided more optimistic predictions. The Tocci brothers had two hearts, two stomachs, two sets of lungs, and shared intestines, anus, and penis. Each twin controlled the leg on their respective side and did not feel their brother's body.

Despite their success as performers, the Tocci brothers were unable to walk due to the lack of coordination between their movements. They could, however, stand with support. The twins spoke Italian, French, and German fluently and were well-mannered, leaving a positive impression on those they interacted with.

In 1891, the Tocci brothers traveled to America, where they were promised a significant weekly payment. Their popularity soared, leading their tour to extend for five years. In 1897, the twins decided to retire and settled in Venice, where they purchased a villa and lived as recluses due to their aversion to people.

In 1904, the brothers got married to two different women who were not related. Information regarding their later years is conflicting. Some sources claim they died in 1906, while others suggest they were alive in 1911 or even 1912, with some reports stating they had children. Another source states that the Tocci brothers passed away in 1940 without having any children. The truth about their later lives remains uncertain.

Regardless of the varying accounts, Giacomo and Giovanni Battista Tocci were once highly renowned and toured the world. They remained indifferent to their fame, which was largely propelled by Mark Twain's interest in their story when he saw their photograph during their American tour. Twain subsequently wrote "Those Extraordinary Twins" based on the unusual brothers.