Garisenda leans ominously: the leaning tower of Bologna is in danger of collapsing

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More famous is the Leaning Tower of Pisa – probably the most famous leaning building in the world. Italy has a second leaning tower: the Garisenda, which is 48 meters high and crosses 3.22 meters. Now the monument in the heart of the city at the foot of the Apennines is in danger of collapsing at any moment. Authorities have cordoned off much of the tower.

In addition, a five-meter-high container barrier is being built around the more than 900-year-old tower to protect against falling debris. The Bologna City Council approved the protective wall of containers to “hold back the debris of a possible collapse, reduce the damage to surrounding buildings and the risk to the population and prevent access to the closed area.”

Red container tire

Construction is expected to begin soon and the first phase will be completed in late January or early February. Around the tower, piles with a diameter of about 20 centimeters are driven deep into the ground. A reinforced concrete slab will be placed on top, which will serve as the basis for a double row of containers filled with reinforced concrete.

This protective container belt will be red – because of Bologna’s nickname. The city in Emilia-Romagna is called “la rossa” – “the red” – because of its tiled roofs and the prevailing political sentiment.

Garisendas skimped

For almost a millennium, the tower has leaned slightly more due to the lack of a solid foundation – currently four degrees to the south. At the start of construction, the foundation had already proven so weak – the Garisendas invested too little money, they say – that the originally planned height of 60 meters was reduced to 48 meters.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa, with its height of 55.8 meters and an overhang of 3.9 meters, has the same slope of four degrees. But the base and structure are sturdier.

Strange noise

Bologna authorities speak of a “very critical” situation. The first alarm sounded in October. The tourist office reported strange noises, vibrations, vibrations and even movements of a few millimeters in the tower. Experts called for filling material to be injected into the weak foundation to stabilize the Garisenda.

The tower was immediately closed and since then sensors have measured the most minimal changes. The enormous protective cordon that has now been erected is likely an indication that the Garisenda may be beyond saving – and could collapse spectacularly at any moment.

Source: Blick