Due Torri (Two Towers)

The Due Torri, or Two Towers, form Bologna's most recognisable skyline feature and stand at the historic intersection of Piazza di Porta Ravegnana in the old city centre of Emilia-Romagna's capital. The taller Asinelli Tower, rising 97 metres, was built between 1109 and 1119 by the powerful Asinelli family and served as a watchtower and status symbol in an era when Bologna counted up to 180 towers. The shorter Garisenda Tower beside it tops out at 48 metres and leans noticeably — a tilt that Dante Alighieri referenced in Canto 31 of the Inferno, comparing it to a looming giant. Climbing the Asinelli's 498 wooden steps delivers one of the best panoramas over Bologna's terracotta roofscapes, the Apennine foothills to the south, and the Po plain to the north. The interior reveals heavy oak beams, stone coursework, and medieval graffiti scratched by guards and prisoners who used the tower over the centuries. The Garisenda cannot be entered and was partially dismantled in the 14th century to reduce collapse risk; its lean of roughly 3.2 metres from vertical is best appreciated from ground level by standing close to its base. Both towers stand at the junction of five medieval roads radiating from the old city gates. The immediate surroundings include the 12th-century church of San Bartolomeo and the Mercato di Mezzo food market a few steps west. Tickets for the Asinelli climb are sold online and at the base; booking in advance is recommended on weekends. Peak visitor times are midday to 4 PM on weekends; morning weekday visits avoid the longest queue.