Can Italy save Torre Garisenda from collapsing, like it did with the Leaning Tower of Pisa?

In a strange turn of events, Italy’s Torre Garisenda has become the second ‘leaning tower,’ with mounting concerns over the potential collapse. It has prompted authorities to devise a plan similar to what was used to shore up the Tower of Pisa.

Erected in the 12th century during a prosperous era for the northern city, the 48 m Garisenda tower began its tilt two centuries later, which is now leaning at a four-degree angle, slightly surpassing the Pisa tower’s current 3.9-degree slant. If reports are to go by, recent measures that have been adopted were temporary closures of streets surrounding Garisenda, as scientists were closely monitoring the structure for signs of instability, after which they deemed it at ‘high risk’ of collapsing.

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Referring to this, Bologna’s mayor, Matteo Lepore said that they are planning to use pylons and cables akin to those employed in Pisa, alongside adapted steel scaffolding, to save Garisenda. Lepore projected this intervention would not only secure the tower, but will also potentially allow the taller neighbouring Asinelli Tower to reopen to the public. Additional consolidation and restoration efforts are slated for 2025 and 2026, depending on further planning.

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The adaptation of equipment from the Tower of Pisa to Garisenda is expected to take approximately six months, with the overall safeguarding operation estimated at 19 million euros (around $20 million).

Following the erection and adaptation of the steel pylon structures, consolidation work will commence on the tower’s masonry, featuring injections of lime-based mortar compatible with its original construction materials. Tightening cables connecting the pylons to tower-mounted scaffolding aims to alleviate stress levels at the tower’s base.

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Despite being less renowned than its Pisa counterpart, Torre Garisenda has been a longstanding tourist attraction in Bologna, immortalised in Dante Alighieri’s ‘Divine Comedy’ for its distinctive angle. Alongside it, the Asinelli Tower draws visitors with a more modest lean of 1.3 degrees. The Tower of Pisa, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, faced a lean of 4.5 degrees in the early 1990s, prompting a global effort to stabilise it over eight years, chiefly through the installation of steel pylons. Today, the bell tower stands as a symbol of stability, offering hope that similar measures will grant Garisenda a renewed lease on life.

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