Fixing leaning tower of Bologna will take at least 10 years and €20m, says mayor
Mayor Matteo Lepore compares the project to save the 12th-century Garisenda tower from collapse to the 10-year effort to preserve the tower of Pisa.
Repairing the Leaning Tower of Bologna
The mayor of Bologna, Matteo Lepore, has announced that the project to fix the leaning medieval tower in the city will take at least 10 years and cost €20m. The Garisenda tower, one of the city's two towers, has been a symbol of Bologna for centuries. It has leaned at an angle of 4 degrees, slightly greater than the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Due to concerns about the risk of collapse, the area around the tower was cordoned off, and a project to stabilize the tower was unveiled last weekend. The restoration effort is comparable to the 10-year intervention and restoration project carried out on the Tower of Pisa.
Mayor Lepore stated that they expect the restoration and consolidation of the Garisenda tower to cost €20m or possibly more. Given the history and condition of the tower, he believes that it will take no less than 10 years to complete the project.
The Historic Significance of the Garisenda Tower
The Garisenda tower, built in the 12th century, is one of Bologna's most beloved landmarks. It stands at 48 meters tall, next to the taller Asinelli tower which measures 97 meters.
Throughout history, the Garisenda tower has inspired artists and writers, making appearances in literature, such as Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy and Le Rime, as well as Charles Dickens' Pictures from Italy. The tower has cultural importance and has even been mentioned in Goethe's Italian Journey.
With its leaning design and historical significance, the Garisenda tower has been a concern for preservation for centuries. The mayor has requested that the government petition to have the towers recognized as UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Efforts to Stabilize the Towers
Efforts to reinforce and stabilize both the Garisenda and Asinelli towers have been ongoing since the 1990s. Preliminary work on the Garisenda tower will involve creating a containment area to prevent potential damage to nearby structures or harm to pedestrians in the event of a collapse.
Surveillance of the site will be maintained through video cameras. The civil protection agency has issued a "yellow" alert for the area surrounding the towers, indicating that it is under watch but not an immediate risk to safety. The city is taking the necessary precautions to ensure the long-term preservation of these historic landmarks.
