The fear for Torre della Garisenda is back. Road traffic and other vibrations could further deepen cracks in the building. Experts from the technical-scientific committee created in 2018 to monitor the Leaning Towers of Bologna are now writing a scientific report to the mayor on “maximum alert”.
The dangerous situation is unpredictable, warned architect Amedeo Bellini, a member of the committee: “We cannot say if nothing will happen to the tower or if there will be a partial or sudden collapse. And we cannot know whether such a scenario will occur tomorrow or within a month.” Stabilization measures urgently need to be taken.
Indefinite suspension
All citizens living or working within a 100 meter radius of the tower were registered by the local police. They must be warned and evacuated in case of fluctuations, informed the mayor of Bologna, Matteo Lepore. At the end of October it was decided to close the streets around the Garisenda tower and its sister Asinelli tower.
Getty Images/Julian Elliott Photography The Garisenda Tower is even steeper than its famous brother in Pisa
The community wants to examine how vibrations around the two medieval towers can be minimized. Until then, they will remain closed to visitors. An iron structure was erected around the Garisenda Tower. With 22 sensors, the University of Bologna collects data on vibrations, temperature, humidity, expansion and pressure in the masonry, as well as data on inclination.
The closure is a heavy blow for residents and tourists, as two of Bologna’s most important tourist attractions are closed. Local operators and store owners fear losses. They suspect the area around the two towers will remain closed to traffic for a long time. Currently, only a few people are approaching the stone giants.
Mayor: Protect “fast and well”.
“There is no risk of the tower falling,” Lepore said. However, the bricks may become loose and fall. The situation is still on “yellow alert,” Lepore said. “We currently have no reason to increase the alarm threshold.” Now it’s about protecting the tower, “quickly and adequately”. The mayor announced that a committee will begin preparing stabilization and restoration work next week. The government in Rome provided 4.7 million euros in emergency aid.
Getty Images/Vyacheslav Argenberg New cracks were discovered in the landmark
The right-wing opposition parties in the city’s parliament made serious accusations against the social democratic mayor. Lepore, for example, was unable to maintain regular services with buses weighing up to 15 tons away from the towers, which generated strong vibrations.
Leaning Tower in Italy
The smaller Garisenda tower is noticeably crooked. Since 2020, the 48-meter-high building with an inclination of exactly four degrees has been considered the steepest tower in Italy – for comparison purposes: the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa has an inclination of 3.97 degrees and is almost 59 meters high. Upon completion of construction, the tower was approximately 60 meters tall. The Garisenda Tower was dismantled in the 14th century due to subsidence in the ground that made it dangerously inclined.
In the 15th century, the weavers’ guild acquired the tower and maintained it until the end of the 19th century. It then became municipal property. The Garisenda Tower was mentioned by the Italian national poet Dante Alighieri in the 13th century “Divine Comedy”. The Asinelli Tower, taller and steeper, measures 97 meters.
Since the 12th century, a whole forest of medieval “skyscrapers” has appeared in Bologna. Rich and powerful families outdid themselves by building the tallest towers possible. Up to 150 have been detected in the city. Most were later demolished due to the risk of collapse or use as building materials. Today there are around 20 of these towers still standing in Bologna.