One of Italy’s historic leaning towers has been sealed off amid fears it could be about to collapse.
Officials have secured the area around a 12th century tower in the Italian city of Bologna which leans as much its world-famous counterpart in Pisa.
There are concerns the Garisenda, one of the so-called Two Towers that overlook the city centre, is leaning so much that it may topple over completely.
The city announced £3.7 million in works to shore it up earlier this year and work is due to begin in January and February 2024.
Italy’s civil protection agency has maintained a high yellow alert on the site, denoting caution but not imminent danger.
The Garisenda, the shorter of two towers built between 1109 and 1119, stands at 157ft, next to the Asinelli tower at 320ft.
Mayor Matteo Lepore noted in a debate earlier this month that the Garisenda tower has leaned since it was built ‘and has been a concern ever since’.
It sustained additional damage in the medieval era when ironwork and bakery ovens were built inside.
‘We inherited a situation that over the centuries has caused this illness,’ he said.
The mayor has asked the government to petition to make the towers Unesco world heritage sites.
Work to reinforce both towers has been continuing since the 1990s.
Preliminary work on the Garisenda tower will include creating a containment area to prevent any damage to nearby structures or harm to passers-by from a ‘possible collapse’, the city said in a statement.
Video cameras will maintain surveillance of the site.
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