Start of work to secure the Garisenda Tower, one of the symbols of Bologna. The goal is to strengthen its base, because the medieval touch leans 4 degrees.
These two towers are the historical memory of the city of Bologna, also called the “Turrita” because in medieval times, they were surrounded by a hundred towers, symbols of the prestige of the richest and most influential families in the city.
The tallest tower, that of the Asinelli, measures 97 meters, but it is the lowest, the Garisenda, which is 47 meters, which worries the Bolognese, because it leans 4 degrees, even more than the Tower of Pisa.
“The two towers are the symbol of our city. Dante mentions them in the Divine Comedy as the leaning tower, the Garisenda. They are a symbol of identity of the largest medieval historic center in Europe. These towers and porticos represent the landscape Bolognese. For us, it is unthinkable to lose them and that is why we must take care of them.” says Matteo Lepore, mayor of Bologna.
Garisenda Tower has been leaning since its construction more than 900 years ago, due to subsidence and fragile foundations. Raffaela Bruni, engineer and work coordinator, explains: _”historically,_the tower slopes towards the east side, more and more accentuated, but always in the same direction. This spring, in May, thanks to one of the sensors placed in the four corners of the tower, a new subsidence, never recorded before, was detected in a southwest direction.
**This new subsidence requires security work which will last approximately 2 years and will then be followed by restoration work.**The security work on the Garisenda Tower has also begun thanks to the contribution of residents and citizens who wanted to show their affection for the main symbol of the city of Bologna.
“A great mobilization for fundraising, almost 4 million euros collected, donations from local businesses and individuals as well. There is a website, sosteniamoleduetorri.it, and thanks to these resources we can carry out both maintenance and restoration” adds Matteo Lepore.
The city comes together around its symbols. The Garisenda Tower will remain stable for a long time, even if it continues to lean.