Due Torri: Asinelli and Garisenda

The Due Torri stand at Piazza di Porta Ravegnana, where the ancient roads from the east entered medieval Bologna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. Both towers date from the early 12th century, the age when the free commune of Bologna was growing rich on trade and its new university, and when noble families raised tower-houses as fortresses, lookouts and statements of status. At the height of the practice the city is traditionally said to have held scores of such towers, and these two are the tallest survivors. The Asinelli, built between roughly 1109 and 1119 and associated with the family of that name, rises to about 97 metres and is reached by 498 steps. It leans slightly and has been used over the centuries as a watchtower, a prison and a toll point. The shorter Garisenda, named for the Garisendi family, leans far more sharply; it was lowered in the 14th century when its tilt threatened collapse, and now stands at under 50 metres. Dante alluded to its slanting profile in the Inferno, and students have long told stories that anyone who climbs the Asinelli before graduating will fail to finish their degree. Architecturally, both are slender brick-and-selenite masonry shafts with a few high openings, and the Asinelli is crowned by a battlemented top added later and reached by an internal timber stair. Visitors climb the Asinelli on timed slots to reach a platform with views over the terracotta roofs, the Apennine foothills and the San Luca hill. The Garisenda is not open to climb and has been monitored and protected with a barrier at its base because of structural concerns. At the foot of the towers a small section of the wooden shops that once crowded around them survives in the square. Restoration and monitoring are continuing, and visitors should check bolognawelcome.com before travelling, because works around the towers and a closure notice were posted in October 2026. The square itself remains free to enter and is one of the best places to see how medieval Bologna was organised around its towers, gates and merchants' streets.