Towers and historic buildings
The Two Towers are widely regarded as the true symbol of Bologna. Both leaning, they stand at the crossroads of the streets that once led to the five gates of the old ring of walls known as “dei torresotti”, in the heart of the city, at what was once the entry point of the ancient Via Emilia. The taller tower is called the Asinelli Tower and today stands 97.2 metres high, following a Bentivoglio-era rebuilding in 1488 (the walls at the top are thick enough to have allowed it to be raised by another 20-25 metres). It is the tallest leaning medieval tower in the world, with an overhang of 2.2 metres. Under normal circumstances, climbing the 498 steps of its internal staircase takes you to the top, which offers a spectacular view of the city. The Garisenda Tower is the smaller one, currently 48 metres high, with a significant overhang of 3.2 metres, which led Dante to mention it in Canto XXXI of the Inferno. It was originally about 60 metres high, but was cut down in the 14th century because of ground subsidence that had already begun during its construction.
The Towers are currently the site of a major project to secure and monitor the Garisenda Tower, which is closed together with the nearby Asinelli Tower. At the moment it is not possible to climb the Asinelli Tower and no reopening date has yet been set: for updates, please check the official website of the City of Bologna.
History
The names of Bologna’s Two Towers come from the families traditionally credited with building them, between 1109 and 1119. In reality, the scarcity of documents from such distant times makes their origin less certain.
As for the Asinelli Tower, the Commune became its owner in the 14th century and used it as a prison and stronghold. In those same years a wooden structure was built around it, thirty metres above the ground and connected to the Garisenda by an overhead walkway (destroyed by fire in 1398). It is said that this structure was commissioned by Giovanni Visconti, Duke of Milan, to keep a closer eye on the turbulent Mercato di Mezzo (today’s Via Rizzoli) and to be able to quell any uprisings in time. The tower suffered serious damage from lightning, which often caused fires or small collapses, and a lightning rod was only installed in 1824. At least two major fires that the tower survived are documented: the first, arson, in 1185, and the second, accidental, in the aforementioned year of 1398. The scientists Giovanni Battista Riccioli (in 1640) and Giovanni Battista Guglielmini (in the following century) used the tower for experiments on falling bodies and on the Earth’s rotation.
During the Second World War, between 1943 and 1945, the tower was used as a lookout post: four volunteers stationed themselves at the top of the tower during bombing raids to direct rescue teams to the places hit by Allied bombs. More recently, a RAI television transmitter was installed on the Asinelli.
The Garisenda Tower, on the other hand, was acquired by the Drapers’ Guild from the 15th century onwards, remaining its sole owner until the end of the 19th century, when ownership passed to the Commune.
The external masonry surfaces were restored between 1998 and 2000, while a first phase of consolidation of the masonry was carried out in 1999-2000. The Rocchetta at the base of the Asinelli was restored in 1998.
Since 2023, major works have been under way to secure the Garisenda Tower, due to a risk of collapse caused by subsidence and instability that have worsened over time. The aim of the project is to consolidate and restore the tower, using a method inspired by that used for the Tower of Pisa, in order to prevent its collapse (the completion date is still uncertain).
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