Garisenda Tower
The Garisenda Tower is the shorter and more dramatically leaning of Bologna's famous twin towers, standing next to the taller Asinelli. Originally built around the same height as its neighbor, it was deliberately lowered in the 14th century after its foundation began to shift, giving it the pronounced tilt visible today.
Dante mentioned the tower's lean in the Inferno, and it has long served as a literary and visual shorthand for medieval Bologna. Ongoing structural monitoring in recent years has led authorities to restrict close public access around its base as a precaution.
Unlike the Asinelli, it cannot be climbed, so most visitors experience it as a striking photo subject from the piazza rather than an interior visit.
Garisenda Tower FAQs
No, it's closed to the public and has restricted approach due to structural safety monitoring.
Its foundation began settling unevenly not long after construction, and builders shortened it in the 14th century rather than risk collapse.
Authorities have periodically fenced the immediate area as a precaution; follow any barriers or signage in place at the time of your visit.
It's shorter and less famous internationally, but its lean is architecturally similar in cause, and it predates most of Pisa's fame in local literature.
No, it's a public street monument viewable free from Piazza di Porta Ravegnana.
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