From an architectural point of view, Bologna is famous not only for its porticos, but also for its many medieval towers. A good number of them disappeared over the centuries due to collapsing, earthquakes and fires, while others are now hidden by surrounding buildings.
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| Two Towers, seen from above |
Noble families were compelled to build these expensive and unprofitable towers because their possession represented power.
The Asinelli and Garisenda towers are a true source of artistic pride for Bologna, so much so that they are considered as the symbolic monument of the city.
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| The Asinelli Tower, cutaway view |
The Asinelli tower, located at the start of Strada Maggiore, was raised between 1109 and 1119 by the family of the same name. At 97 meters it is the tallest tower in the city. The foundation, which lays on wooden beams, goes 6 meters deep. Given the height of the tower, that distance could seem a bit short, but it is quite stable since its center of gravity is low, at 30 meters, and because it is not excessively heavy, at approximately 8400 metric tons. It seems that the tower originally had an entrance that was raised up from the ground. The current door, created by digging through the gypsum base until the open, central space was reached, would later replace that entrance. The internal, winding staircase was built later, after the fire in 1399, as were the two brick vaults, the first placed at one third the total height of the tower and the second at the top. The westward leaning of the tower is not particularly evident. In 1912 the lean was established at about 2.30 meters, but no research has ever been carried out on the causes and progression over time of the lean.
By looking at the walls of the tower, where interpretable signs have been left by various work done over time, it can be deduced that at the beginning of the 1400’s the lean was about half what it is now. This fact is also confirmed by traces left on the nearby Garisenda tower, from a wooden bridge built between the two towers in the second half of the 1300’s. The bridge functioned as a control point for the underlying Mercato di Mezzo, the Central Market, all the way to Piazza Maggiore. The bridge was also destroyed in the fire of 1399. The large holes located at various heights on the outside walls of the tower seem to have been for hanging wooden constructions on the tower.
There is not a great deal of information available on the Garisenda Tower either.
According to reports from that time, work was started in 1110 by Filippo and Oddo Garisendi.
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| Riccadonna & Artemisi towers, torn down in 1918 |
It is thought that the tower began leaning when it reached a height of 60 meters due to sinking of the ground and foundation. Builders were thus required to stop before they had reached the pre-established height.
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| Riccadonna & Artemisi towers, torn down in 1918 |
We know that at the beginning of the fourteenth century the tower already leaned like it does today, and it was even taller. It was lowered between 1351 and 1360 on wishes of Giovanni da Oleggio, and for this reason it was nicknamed the “torre mozza” – sawed off tower.
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| Riccadonna & Artemisi towers, torn down in 1918 |
Today the tower is 48 meters tall with a 3.22 meter inclination. In the 1600’s the Garisendi family disappeared, but their tower had already been in possession of the Drapers’ Guild for almost a century. It later belonged to the Ranuzzi, Malvezzi-Campeggi and Franchetti families, and it now belongs to the city.
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| Riccadonna & Artemisi towers, torn down in 1918 |
The base of the tower was joined to a small church dedicated to Saint Mary of Grace, which was demolished in 1871. Between 1887 and 1889 the tower was freed from the inappropriate presence of the old homes surrounding it, and it was given a new wainscot of selenite blocks.
