Built by patricians in the 12th century, these leaning towers, the virtual symbol of Bologna, keep defying gravity year after year. In the Middle Ages, Bologna contained dozens of these skyscrapers, predating Manhattan by several centuries. The towers were status symbols: the more powerful the family, the taller their tower was. The smaller one, the Garisenda, is only 162 feet tall and leans about 10 1/2 feet from perpendicular. The family that built this tower did not prepare a solid foundation, and it sways tipsily to the south. When the Garisenda clan saw what they had done, they gave up. In 1360, part of the tower was lopped off because it was viewed as a threat to public safety. The taller one, the Asinelli (334 feet tall, a walk-up of nearly 500 steps), inclines almost 7 1/2 feet. Those who scale the Asinelli should be awarded a medal, but instead they are presented with a panoramic view of the red-tile roofs of Bologna and the green hills beyond.
2 - 3 February 2001
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Torre degli Asinelli (view walking north along Via Castiglione)  |
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The Torres (view from Via Rizzoli) 
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Torre degli Asinelli / Torre degli Garisenda  |
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San Bartolomeo 
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Leaning base of Torre degli Garisenda  |
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Entrance to Torre degli Asinelli  |
Looking down on Torre degli Garisenda  |
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roof enclosure  |
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Distant view of Piazza Maggiore  |
