For almost 1000 years, the Garisenda tower has been an iconic feature of Bologna’s skyline. But now, the Italian city says it is at risk of collapse due to excessive leaning.
According to CBS News, the tower is currently leaning at an angle of 4 degrees – marginally less than its more famous cousin, the Tower of Pisa, which leans at an angle of 5 degrees.
“A new report by experts states the tower is at great risk of falling, so we need to be ready for every eventuality,” a city spokesman told London's The Times.
The scientific committee which has monitored the site since 2019 recently issued a 27-page report which puts the tower site on “high alert,” according to CNN. Experts had been worried about the tower’s integrity since last year. However, it was the October 2023 sensor readings which triggered alarm bells.
Examination of the site revealed an “unexpected and accelerated trend” of “crushing” compression to the base of the Garisenda tower. It also revealed expanding cracks in the bricks of the tower.
The city authorities have decided to fence off the area surrounding the tower for public safety. The protective metal cordon will “contain debris resulting from a possible collapse, to reduce the vulnerability of surrounding buildings and the exposure to the population, as well as blocking access to the off-limits area.”
However, there is no consensus on when the tower will collapse. “We’re acting as if it’s about to collapse, but nobody knows when that could be – it could be three months, 10 years, or 20 years,” a spokesperson told CNN.
The spokesperson added that residents would have been evacuated had there been imminent risk of the tower collapsing.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
