The Leaning Tower of Pisa already has a lot of competition within Italy. One of the two towers, a symbol of Bologna, is in danger of falling, and the highest level of alert has been declared.
A plan is now in place to “suddenly collapse” the 914-year-old Garisenda Tower in the city’s central square, Piazza di Porta Ravenna, local media reported.
To contain the debris in the event of a sudden collapse, a massive retaining wall had to be built and nets stretched around the 48-meter-tall tower. Recently, sensors detected a change in this slope, leading to the closure of the tower and the square around it.
Cracks and wear are already registered. Among the reasons for this may be a drop in groundwater. Experts noticed unusual fluctuations in the tower, 48 meters high, as early as October.
The two most popular towers of Bologna, Garisenda and Assinelli, were built between 1109 and 1119. Garisenda, mentioned even in Dante Alighieri’s “Divine Comedy”, was originally 60 meters high, but its height was reduced as early as the 14th c., when the tower begins to tilt.
The tower, once built by a wealthy family, leans four degrees – similar to the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
A spokesman for the Bologna city administration commented that no one is yet convinced that the Garisenda tower could collapse immediately.
He stated that the weather is unpredictable – it could happen in three months or 20 years.
Twice as tall, the Assinelli tower still absolutely stable. And the most leaning tower in the world is located in Germany. The church tower in the village of Zuurhusen, Lower Saxony. It deviated by 5.19 degrees.
2023-12-03 13:01:51
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