Visit the Torre degli Asinelli in Bologna, a bit of history and the times of this symbol that is impossible not to notice in the historic center of the city of Bologna, read the post.
One hundred were the towers that rose in the city of Bologna between the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries, today only twenty-four remain, and among these the two famous towers symbol of the city, the Garisenda and Tower of the Asinelli.
If you have the opportunity to pass through the evocative and lively center of Bologna you will see them appear, almost suddenly, where one of the central arteries, Via Rizzoli, crosses Via Castiglione, Via Zamboni and Strada Maggiore, in that small area called Piazza di Porta Ravegnana, originally Porta Ravennate, the gate that once led to Ravenna via the ancient Via Emilia.
La Tower of the Asinelli it is the larger of the two and the tallest leaning tower in Italy, actually leaning towards the west for 2,32 meters. It seems to have been built between 1109 and 1119 and it is estimated that it was once much taller than its current one 97,2 meters. The base is surrounded by a sort of rocchetta that had the function of hosting the soldiers on guard.
Inside a series of narrow and articulated flights of stairs in wood, for a total of 498 steps, will take you to the top where from the outdoor terrace you can enjoy a splendid 360 ° view of Bologna and the enchanting hills that surround it.
The Tower is open in winter from 9.00 to 17.00, while in spring and in summer from 9.00 to 18.00 (sometimes 19.00). The ascent costs 3 € and it is not necessary to book. The view is so beautiful from up there that you will want to go up again every time the sun shines.
The Towers of Bologna they are of medieval origin, the reasons for which they were erected are not totally clear but it seems that the wealthiest families used them at the time as a symbol to declare their power, the names of the same derive from the families to which the construction is attributed.
La second tower, the unfinished Garisenda, it visibly differs for its lower height, in fact it has only 47 meters and cannot be visited, but I suggest you go to the beginning of Via Zamboni to observe from below the 3,22 meters of overhang that make it hang so incredibly. They will seem a lot more to you from that point of view and you will wonder how he has been standing for so long, I can't help it every time I pass by there.
Under the Two Towers you will also find the statue of San Petronio, the protector of the Emilian capital, once removed and relocated recently.
A curiosity. Back in 1791, right at the Torre degli Asinelli, the physicist Giovanni Battista Guglielmini carried out a well-known scientific experiment. From the top of the tower he dropped a grave and, observing that instead of falling vertically, it moved 17 mm, he gave proof of the earth's rotation, 70 years before the Foucault Pendulum experiment.
