Oh yeah. And they're both leaning, especially the shorter one. Apparently it has been leaning since at least the Renaissance since Dante specifically mentions the leaning tower called Garisenda in the Inferno. The taller tower is called Asinelli. They were supposedly built in the 12th century.
Bologna has many towers still in existence. It is thought that there may have been as many as 180 towers in town (though it is more likely to have been closer to 80), probably built by rich families for status and defense. During the 14th century the town took control of the two towers, turned them into a prison and a stronghold, and even connecting them by a wooden bridge about 90 feet high. There were five gates in the medieval town, and the roads from the gates all came together in the center of town. These towers stand right in the middle of their intersection.
The medieval tower is leaning you say? Oh well. We'll still let people climb to the top. I'm sure it's safe.
Like all of the bell towers and other towers I've climbed so far in Italy, this one afforded a wonderful view of town and the surrounding hills. Unfortunately the pictures always pick up too much of the haze in the distance. You can see farther in person.
A couple of other towers. Ha! They're puny.
The town's roads radiate out from our central location.
The red-tiled roofs of Bologna.
And more of same.
The Asinelli dwarfs the Garisenda.
The Chris dwarfs the Sarah.
The ominous steep stairway back down from the roof.
Here is one rendering of what Bologna may have looked like with all of its towers in the Renaissance. It looks like a modern city with skyscrapers.
And here is more wall-mounted reading material on the way up. These are the tallest medieval towers in Italy. I've been to five of these towns so far. I will do my best to climb more of them.
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