Italy's other leaning tower: More slanted than its Pisa cousin, and even more dangerous

As tourists and locals pass under the Garisenda tower in the heart of Bologna, many can't resist taking a quick photo on their phones. Even with the naked eye, you can tell that it does not stand completely straight. In recent weeks, the Garisenda has also attracted global attention, with some describing it as "Italy's other leaning tower."‌

The tower has been leaning for many years, at a slightly more acute angle than its more famous counterpart in Pisa. However, engineers say the Garisenda's base is crumbling at an alarming rate, increasing the risk of collapse.

Local authorities have closed off streets directly underneath the 48-meter high medieval tower as they build a barrier to catch any debris that could fall off. The tower next door, the Asinelli, is taller and also leans but it's the Garisenda that has caused so much concern.

$20m and 10 years to restore

‌"The closing of the towers and the renovation of the Garisenda have put us in a tough spot for a moment," said Allesandro Palazzi, who owns a newsstand and souvenir shop that sits right under the towers. "Actually quite a long time, because the mayor is talking about 10 years of work, so we will endure a slowdown in the flow of tourists who once came to visit the Asinelli tower, because now the Asinelli is closed because of the fact that they are renovating the Garisenda."

‌Bologna's Mayor, Matteo Lepore, has announced that it will cost more than $20 million to restore the Garisdena.

‌"In the meantime, I want to reassure you that the tower is not in danger of imminent collapse. We need to secure it. That requires a construction site. And clearly also to cover and secure the entire area. These barriers are fundamental because we can't risk any objects falling from the tower, or even a collapse that we hope will never happen, it would shower bricks and debris onto shop windows or onto passers-by," said Matteo Lepore, the Mayor of Bologna.

No dropoff in visitor numbers

After completing the initial works, the city is also raising money to fund the longer-term project of shoring up the Garisenda.

However, despite the disruption in the city centre, the local tourist board has not detected any dropoff in visitor numbers.

‌"We expected that this difficulty with the towers would create a negative shock" said Giovanni Arata from Bologna Welcome. "Instead, the numbers that we have around visitors and arrivals, are in line with those of previous years. And probably such a rich cultural offer will help us continue to give satisfaction to those who visit us."

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