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Garisenda Tower in Bologna, Italy, may collapse due to the breakdown of rocks and cracks in its bricks.
The “leaning tower” has been standing for almost a millennium, shakily but steadily. However, the Garisenda tower in Bologna, Italy, may soon be facing its final days. The city is initiating a civil protection plan for the “sudden and unexpected collapse of the tower,” which has dominated the Bologna skyline since the 12th century, in response to investigations conducted last month.
Constructions have begun on a 5 meter (16ft) high barrier around the mediaeval Garisenda Tower to contain debris in the event that it falls.
The 47 meter (154ft) 12th Century tower tilts at a four-degree angle but studies have found shifts in the direction of its tilt.
Bologna’s council has said the situation is “highly critical”.
The tower is one of two which dominate the skyline of Bologna – both of which lean.
The other tower, the Asinelli, is around twice the height of the Garisenda and doesn’t lean so dramatically. In fact, it’s usually open for tourists to climb.
Ongoing consolidation efforts have been abruptly stopped, and there are plans to swiftly establish an exclusion zone.
“We’re acting as if it’s the worst-case scenario but that’s not to say it’ll happen,” a spokesperson told CNN.
The spokesperson informed that “precautions are currently on yellow alert rather than red, where collapse is imminent”.
“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. If there was an imminent risk of collapse we’d evacuate everyone,” he added.
