In the heart of Bologna, where the ancient Via Emilia used to enter the city, stand the famous Due Torri: the Asinelli and the Garisenda. Both inclined, both legendary, both essential to understand the identity of this northern Italian city. Built between 1109 and 1119 by the families that bear their name, they arose at a time when erecting towers was a demonstration of power, wealth and military capability.
The Asinelli, the tallest, reaches 97.2 meters and offers an incomparable view after climbing its 498 steps. The Garisenda, much steeper and reduced to 48 meters, was cut back in the 14th century because of the risk of collapse due to the instability of the terrain. Together, both have defied fires, lightning, political conflicts and the changes of a city that never stopped expanding around them.
The Asinelli Tower, originally about 70 meters high, was later raised to its current height. Over the centuries it served as a prison, a fortress, a scientific laboratory for experiments on the Earth's rotation and, during World War II, as an observation post to coordinate rescues during bombing raids.
The Garisenda, more fragile and with an angle of inclination that exceeds even that of the Tower of Pisa, survived thanks to a complex relationship between structure and ground. Its literary notoriety led it to appear in works by Dante, who used it as a visual reference in the Divine Comedy, and later inspired authors such as Charles Dickens and Goethe.
Since the end of 2023, the city of Bologna has been living on alert. The Garisenda was sealed after an anomalous increase in its oscillation was detected. A sensor system records every micro-fracture and every displacement, while engineers work on stabilizing its foundations with new materials.
Authorities have closed the surrounding area, including Piazza di Porta Ravegnana, and visits to the Asinelli Tower were also suspended for safety reasons. It is estimated that the consolidation work will take at least 10 years and will require an investment of 20 million euros.
For the people of Bologna, the risk is not only architectural: it is emotional. The towers have accompanied urban life for almost a thousand years. Losing the Garisenda would be like losing a part of the collective soul.
Before the closure, thousands of visitors climbed the Asinelli Tower every day to get a 360° panoramic view of the red roofs and the endless porticoes of the city. Today, the tourist alternative is the Clock Tower, which preserves the vertical experience without compromising safety.
The Due Torri are not just a tourist attraction: they represent Bologna's medieval heyday, when more than a hundred towers distributed its skyline as signs of family influence. They bear witness to a time when architecture was both defense and public statement.
The ongoing restoration does not seek only to prevent a collapse: it aims to ensure that this millennia-old symbol will remain standing to tell its story to future generations. And, as the city works to save them, the world watches closely as one more chapter in the life of these towers that have never stopped leaning, but also never stopped resisting.