The famous monument is dangerously wobbling. It was surrounded by barriers
The condition of one of the famous Italian landmarks has significantly deteriorated in recent years. One of the two leaning towers has started to sway - experts warn. For safety reasons, it has been surrounded by barriers and neither tourists nor residents can be in its immediate vicinity.
7:51 AM EDT, October 24, 2023
Experts are concerned about the condition of one of the famous, medieval towers located in Bologna. Garisenda is in an increasingly bad condition. It was detected that the slender, tall structure was swaying and becoming increasingly unstable. For safety reasons, the monument has already been fenced off and traffic around it has been re-routed.
"Garisenda is sick" – warns the local newspaper "Il Resto del Carlino". Reporters accuse city authorities of wasting precious time to save endangered monuments. They also emphasize that it was a mistake to maintain bus and coach traffic in the immediate vicinity of such valuable buildings.
Once in Bologna, there were as many as 180 towers
The two historic Asinella and Garisenda towers located in the very heart of Bologna, are considered the city's most famous symbol - right next to Neptune and the Basilica of San Petronio. At the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries, there were over 180 similar towers in Bologna, today there are about 20 left of them. Their purpose and use varied, some served as defensive towers, and others were used for residential purposes. Most of all, however, they were to testify to the wealth and power of the family that owned them.
Crooked towers in Bologna
Currently, there aren't many towers left, but two have become very popular: Asinella and Garisenda. They're known as the "leaning towers in Bologna". Both were built between 1109 and 1119. Asinella is the tallest surviving residential tower in Bologna - its height is 319 feet. The tower's deviation from the vertical towards the west is currently 7.3 feet and it's not increasing.
Garisenda is shorter, it's 157 feet tall, but it's considerably more titled. The tower's deviation from the vertical is 11 feet. Lately, experts have noticed that Garisenda is starting to deform even more. This observation has raised the city services and the conservator's alertness to the highest level.
The city authorities have made the decision to immediately close the area around Garisenda, surround it with barriers, and change the traffic flow nearby.
The reconstruction will be very expensive
People supervising the monuments appealed to Mayor Matteo Lepore for urgent conservation work. The Bologna newspaper reminds us that the monument has been in poor condition for some time, and in the current situation, detailed technical inspections and immediate actions are necessary.
Although there are many unknowns, it is certain that the reconstruction of the famous monument will not be a cheap enterprise. The "healing" of Garisenda requires 5 million euros from the national reconstruction plan.
