The famous Garisenda Tower in the center of Bologna has been leaning for some time. There is now a risk that vibrations will further deepen the existing cracks in the tower. The experts who investigate the monument now write a scientific report to the mayor of “high alert”.
The fear of the tower collapsing is back. All citizens who live or work within a radius of 100 meters around the tower are registered by the local police. In case of fluctuations, they must be warned and taken to safety, Bologna mayor Matteo Lepore reported. At the end of October he decided to close the streets around the “Torre della Garisenda” and the double Asinelli Tower. It’s a hard blow for residents and tourists as two of Bologna’s main attractions remain closed for the time being.
Slope of 3.20 meters
The two towers rise in the heart of the city, at the starting point of the old Via Emilia. They were built in the Middle Ages and had a predominantly military function. The smaller Garisenda Tower is noticeably crooked. Today it has a height of 48 meters and a slope of 3.20 meters. When construction was completed, it was approximately 60 meters high. The higher, also sloping Asinelli Tower measures 97 meters.
The community wants to investigate how vibrations around the two medieval towers can be minimized. Until then, they will remain closed to visitors. An iron structure was built around the Garisenda Tower. The experts do not fear a collapse, but rocks could become loose and fall down. It is assumed that the area around the towers will remain closed to traffic for some time.
Traffic closures hurt the local economy
Shop owners in the area around the towers fear losses. Because it has become unusually quiet around her. No honking, no braking, no traffic jams: just a few tourists winding their way through Via San Vitale, looking up at the Garisenda Tower. “For us, the closure to traffic is a problem, people have disappeared. If the municipality does not intervene, the streets around the towers will remain empty and the area will become extinct,” lamented the owner of a restaurant not far from the Asinelli Tower.
Their hope is that Christmas will bring more life to the area with lights and Christmas stalls. “We are concerned about the stability of the tower, but also about our future, as the number of guests has decreased,” she noted.
The tower was dismantled in the Middle Ages due to its tilted location
The Garisenda Tower was dismantled in the 14th century due to a subsidence in the ground that left it dangerously tilted. In the 15th century the weavers’ guild acquired the tower and kept it until the end of the 19th century. Afterwards it became municipal property. The Garisenda Tower was mentioned by the Italian national poet Dante Alighieri in the Divine Comedy at the beginning of the 14th century.
Source: Krone
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