Italy's 148ft leaning tower is about to collapse and it's not in Pisa

Italy's other leaning tower in Bologna is off-limits to visitors due to collapse-risk

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Bologna launched a $20 million initiative to maintain Torre Garisenda in the air. — AFP/File
Bologna launched a $20 million initiative to maintain Torre Garisenda in the air. — AFP/File

Italy may as well be called the country of leaning towers as another such tower other than the Leaning Tower of Pisa, has stood tall and strong in Bologna but it might not stay that way for long.

The Torre Garisenda, 148-foot long tower on a four-degree bend, is the 12th-century catastrophe-in-waiting at the heart of Bologna, Italy.

According to CNN, iconic tower that stands next to a larger, 319-foot structure called Asinelli Tower was considered to be at "high risk" of collapse last year.

This tower which is at risk is now off-limits to onlookers.

According to the New York Post, city officials launched a $20 million initiative earlier this week to maintain Torre Garisenda in the air by recruiting scaffolding, pylons, and other equipment from the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Torre Garisenda and the Asinelli Tower were built in the Middle Ages. — AFP/File
Torre Garisenda and the Asinelli Tower were built in the Middle Ages. — AFP/File

The equipment is expected to be modified within half a year.

"This will make it possible to secure the tower," Bologna mayor Matteo Lepore said at a press conference.

The plan involves running supports across the tower's mid-section, connecting to two ground-anchored pulley systems, with masonry work to follow.

"In 2025 and 2026 there will be further consolidation and restoration work, which still needs to be planned," the mayor added.

Both the Torre Garisenda and the Asinelli Tower, known as the "two towers", were built in the Middle Ages, serving as military purpose for signaling and city defense along with a flaunting of prestige, according to the city's tourism board.