Precarious Peril: Italy's Leaning Tower on the Brink of Collapse
The iconic medieval Garisenda tower in Bologna, Italy, faces an imminent threat of collapse, prompting authorities to cordon off the area and establish a safety zone Scientific reports have warned of its high risk, adding urgency to the situation
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For nearly 1,000 years, the leaning tower in Bologna, Italy has stood steadfastly. However, recent investigations have prompted the city to initiate a civil protection plan due to concerns about the potential collapse of the Garisenda tower, which has been a dominant feature of the Bologna skyline since the 12th century.
The city council announced that a protective metal barrier will be installed to contain any debris from a potential collapse, minimizing risk to nearby buildings and people. The barrier will be secured to the ground and feature specialized rockfall protection nets, also made of metal and anchored to the ground.
The scientific committee, responsible for monitoring the site since 2019, shared a 27-page report with CNN, warning of a potential collapse. The report puts the site on "high alert" and states that experts believe it is no longer safe to operate on or around the tower without a civil protection plan in place.
The site's monitoring over the last month has shown a concerning and rapid increase in compression at the base of the tower, leading to the gradual deterioration of the stone cladding and the expansion of cracks in the upper brick. As a result, ongoing consolidation efforts have been stopped and an exclusion zone will be promptly constructed.
The tower is not on the brink of immediate collapse, according to a spokesperson who spoke to CNN. "We are proceeding as if it is the worst-case scenario, but that doesn't mean it will happen," he explained, noting that the current precautions are at a "yellow" alert rather than red, which would indicate an imminent collapse.
"We are behaving as though it is on the verge of collapsing, but the timing is uncertain - it could be three months, 10 years, or 20 years from now.
"If there was a real danger of collapse, we would evacuate everyone," he stated, explaining that the monitoring equipment provides updates every 15 minutes, giving them advance notice of any collapse so they can evacuate the nearby area.
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An ode by Dante
The tower was isolated in October for monitoring.
The 48-meter (158 feet) Garisenda is one of the famous "twin towers" in Bologna that dominate the city center. Built in the 12th century during a time when Bologna was filled with dozens of towers, each built by local families competing to build the highest. Today, only a few of these towers remain, with many of them having been converted into regular houses after having their tops removed.
The Garisenda Tower leans at a four-degree angle, slightly less than the Leaning Tower of Pisa's five-degree lean. It has been tilting since the early 14th century when Dante wrote about its dizzying effect in "Inferno." Situated in the city center next to the Asinelli, a tower twice its height, visitors were able to climb the latter until recently. Bologna's mayor, Matteo Lepore, ordered the area around the towers to be closed off in October, not for safety reasons, but for research purposes. Acoustic sensors were installed to monitor any cracking or creaking noises, while pendulums were installed in both towers to track movement and oscillation levels.
The latest research shows not only higher compression in the tower's base, but also a 90-degree shift in the tower's lean from east or southeast to south. A spokesperson for the city council stated that the conditions have been deteriorating steadily since July.
Inescapably critical condition
An exclusion zone will now be built.
Comune di Bologna
The rock attached to the tower's base has been slowly disintegrating, and vertical cracks in the bricks have been getting worse since 2020. A report released on November 15 confirms that the tower has been in a critically deteriorating condition for a while, and previous efforts to intervene, such as placing a "hoop" of steel rods and cables around the base in 2020, have only made the situation worse.
According to the report, the overall situation has significantly deteriorated, posing concerns for the stability of the tower. The unexpected and rapid deterioration has prompted the committee to suspend all ongoing activities, particularly consolidation, and place the site on high alert. The committee has concluded that it is unsafe to operate on or around the tower, except within the parameters of a civil protection plan.
Michelangelo's 'secret room' in Italy, decorated by the renowned artist, will soon be open to the public. In addition, extreme weather events such as high temperatures this summer and flooding earlier in the year are believed to have contributed, as mentioned by the council spokesperson.
Red alert
The cordon will be finished by February.
Comune di Bologna
The council plans to deliver materials for the protective cordon near the tower within the next few weeks and aims to complete the works by February. However, the renderings depicting bright red barriers around the medieval buildings may disappoint those hoping for a more fitting design. The report specifies that any anti-collapse measures must be reversible, indicating that the current design may be temporary.
The council spokesperson announced that after the cordon is put in place, a two-phase research project will commence. The first phase will focus on stabilizing the tower, possibly through the creation of a metal "cage." The second phase, which aims to address the underlying problem, is currently a topic of debate.
"Some propose dismantling it, rebuilding the base, or trimming the tower as was done in the medieval period. These are all hypotheses that we are studying - the tower is nearly 1,000 years old and there's no rulebook," he said.
The necessary work will be expensive - the safety cordon alone will cost 4.4 million euros (about $4.8 million), and any stabilizing work will cost "millions and millions," said the spokesperson. The council has initiated an online fundraiser with a goal of raising 3 million euros. In just a week, it has already raised 800,000 euros.
"The spokesperson noted that the twin towers, along with the UNESCO-protected porticoes, are iconic symbols of the city. The preservation efforts are not only about protecting a heritage site, but also about preserving its strong symbolic value."
