| Two Towers | |
|---|---|
Due Torri | |
 Picture of the Two Towers in Bologna, Asinelli (right) and Garisenda (left) | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Status | Restored, but in critical danger of collapse |
| Location | Bologna, Italy |
| Year(s) built | 1109–1119 |
The Two Towers (Italian: Due torri), both leaning, are symbols of Bologna, Italy,[1] and the most prominent of the Towers of Bologna. They are located at the intersection of the roads that lead to the five gates of the old ring wall (mura dei torresotti). The taller one is called the Asinelli. The smaller tower with a greater lean is called the Garisenda. Their names derive from the families which are traditionally credited with having constructed the towers between 1109 and 1119.[2]
Their construction may have been a competition between the two families to show which was the more powerful family.[3][4] The scarcity of documents from this early period makes this uncertain. The name of the Asinelli family, for example, is documented for the first time in 1185, almost 70 years after the presumed construction of the tower which is attributed to them.
- ^ Naomi Miller (1989). Renaissance Bologna: a study in architectural form and content. P. Lang. ISBN 978-0-8204-0885-9.
- ^ Atkinson's Casket. Sam. C. Atkinson. 1832. pp. 409–.
- ^ Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society. The Society. 1918.
- ^ Luciano Mangiafico (2007). Italy's Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Roman Ruins, Wonderful Wines, and Renaissance Rarities. Potomac Books, Inc. pp. 301–. ISBN 978-1-61234-046-3.