Information
Landmark: Due TorriCity: Bologna
Country: Italy
Continent: Europe
Due Torri, Bologna, Italy, Europe
Overview
The Due Torri, or Two Towers, rise above Bologna’s skyline and stand among the city’s most iconic landmarks.In the heart of Bologna, the Torre Asinelli and the leaning Torre Garisenda rise over the Piazza di Porta Ravegnana, standing as proud reminders of the city’s medieval power and prestige.The Asinelli Tower rises 97.2 meters-about 318 feet-above Bologna, built in the 12th century by the wealthy and influential Asinelli family.In its day, it guarded the city and housed its owners, its tall brick walls standing as a clear sign of their power.The tower served both as a military stronghold and a bold display of the family’s power and prestige.Torre Asinelli, the taller of the two, challenges visitors with 498 narrow steps before rewarding them with a sweeping view of the city’s red rooftops.From the summit, you can see the whole city spread out below, with rooftops glinting in the sun and hills rolling away into the distance.Don’t miss this spot-it gives you a sweeping view of Bologna’s red rooftops and the distant green hills.Torre Garisenda, once about 60 meters tall, was cut down to 48 in the 14th century when it began to lean dangerously.Built in the 12th century by the wealthy Garisenda family, it served both as a defensive stronghold and a bold display of their power.As the centuries passed, the soft earth beneath Torre Garisenda caused it to tilt further, its slant so sharp you could see the shadow fall unevenly at dusk, and that lean made it one of Italy’s most famous “leaning towers.”Today, the tower’s lean stands out as a defining feature of Bologna’s skyline, a sight as familiar as the red-tiled roofs beneath it.In the Middle Ages, the city thrived on wealth and scholarship, anchored by the University of Bologna-the oldest in Europe and a beacon for scholars across the continent.Wealthy families vied for status by raising tall stone towers, and by the 12th and 13th centuries, more than a hundred rose over Bologna’s narrow streets.The Two Towers still stand as the city’s most famous landmarks, their weathered brick a sharp reminder of its medieval past.Symbolism: The Due Torri rose as a proud emblem of Bologna’s noble families, their shadow stretching over the city as a quiet reminder of wealth and influence.They serve as a vivid reminder of the city’s medieval wealth and power, when it thrived as a bustling, influential city‑state in the Middle Ages, its market squares echoing with the sound of traders’ voices.Today, the Due Torri draw crowds of visitors, making them one of Bologna’s top attractions-you can often spot people craning their necks to see the highest tower.You can’t climb Torre Garisenda because of safety issues, but Torre Asinelli welcomes visitors with a sweeping view of the city’s red rooftops.People often center their photos on the towers, especially at sunset when the warm light washes their stone in gold.The Two Towers dominate Bologna’s skyline, visible from countless spots across the city-from the hills on its edge to Piazzale Michelangelo, where they rise like sentinels above the rooftops.They also appear in literature-most famously in Dante’s *Divine Comedy*, where the *Inferno* (Canto 31) places them in the towering, stonework architecture of hell.In the end, the Due Torri aren’t just towers of brick and stone-they stand as proud markers of Bologna’s medieval past, whispering of the city’s wealth, power, and the fierce rivalries that once burned between its noble families.They still rise as a proud testament to Bologna’s architectural and cultural legacy, pulling in history lovers and curious travelers from every corner of the globe, much like the scent of fresh espresso drifting through its narrow streets.
