# The Two Towers of Bologna > The Asinelli and Garisenda towers are Bologna's symbol: two 12th-century towers on Piazza di Porta Ravegnana, five minutes from Piazza Maggiore. Asinelli rises almost 97 metres, while its neighbour Garisenda leans noticeably. You can admire them from outside for free, but the 498-step Asinelli climb is currently suspended while Garisenda is stabilised, so check before you go. Web page: https://yesgo.io/italy/bologna/towers-of-bologna - City: [Bologna](https://yesgo.io/italy/bologna), Italy - YesGo score: 51/100 (Yes, go) - Time on site: 30 min - Entry: Free outside - Opening hours: Outside: always; climb: check status - With kids: Fine with kids - Outside: Free, 24 hours - Asinelli climb: Currently suspended - Height: Asinelli ≈ 97 m, Garisenda ≈ 48 m - Steps: 498, when the climb is open - Time needed: 20–45 minutes - Location: Piazza di Porta Ravegnana, 5 minutes from Piazza Maggiore - Coordinates: 44.49430, 11.34650 - Facts checked: 11.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1109–1119** — the Asinelli Tower was built (source: English Wikipedia) - **c. 97 m** — Asinelli's height, Italy's tallest medieval tower (source: English Wikipedia) - **c. 48 m** — height of the leaning Garisenda (source: English Wikipedia) - **Dozens** — of towers stood in medieval Bologna; about twenty survive (source: English Wikipedia) - **Dante** — likened Garisenda to a stooping giant in the Divine Comedy (source: English Wikipedia) ## History of the Two Towers In the 12th and 13th centuries Bologna was a city of towers: wealthy families built tall stone towers to show off rank and riches. There were many dozens, and about twenty survive. The most famous are **Asinelli** and **Garisenda**, side by side on Piazza di Porta Ravegnana and known together as the Two Towers. **Asinelli** was built in **1109–1119** and stands almost **97 metres** tall, the tallest medieval tower in Italy. **Garisenda** is lower, about **48 metres**, and leans steeply; it was shortened back in the Middle Ages because the ground subsided. **Dante** compared it in the Divine Comedy to a giant bending over a traveller. ## Climbing Asinelli Normally you can climb the **498 wooden steps** of the narrow stair inside Asinelli to a view of Bologna's red roofs, porticoes, the dome of San Petronio and the hills with the sanctuary of San Luca. The climb takes about 20 minutes and needs decent fitness. Since 2023 the towers have been fenced off and the Asinelli climb **suspended** while the city stabilises the leaning Garisenda, work expected to take several years. Check the official Bologna tourism site before you go. If it's still closed, the San Petronio terrace offers a similar view of the city. ## What to see at the towers - **Asinelli** — Italy's tallest medieval tower. - **Garisenda** — the leaning tower Dante wrote about. - **Piazza di Porta Ravegnana** — the heart of medieval Bologna. - **Via Rizzoli porticoes** — the covered arcades around them. - **Other towers** — scattered across the old town. - **The view from the top** — when the climb reopens. > **Check whether the climb is open** While Garisenda is being stabilised, the Asinelli climb is closed and part of the square is fenced off. The towers are still easy to see from Via Rizzoli and Via San Vitale. When the climb reopens, tickets are likely to be sold online for time slots; watch the Bologna Welcome site. ## A city of towers and porticoes The main streets of old Bologna fan out from the towers, and nearly every pavement is sheltered by **porticoes**, arcaded covered walkways. The city has almost forty kilometres of them, now UNESCO-listed, making strolling easy in rain or heat. Walk from the towers along Via Rizzoli to **Piazza Maggiore**, with San Petronio and the Fountain of Neptune, five minutes away. In the other direction, Via San Vitale leads into the university quarter of cafés and student life. Look out for other towers too, such as the Prendiparte tower, now a guesthouse. ## Why the towers were built Historians still debate why medieval families needed such tall towers. Probably for several reasons at once: a tower showed off a family's wealth and power, served as a lookout and a safe refuge, and adorned the city. They went up fast, with brick walls tapering towards the top on massive stone foundations. Over time many towers were demolished, shortened or built into houses, and today you spot them only by looking up, when a square brick shaft suddenly rises above the rooftops. Walk the old town and count how many you can see; it's a good game for children too. ## How to get to the Two Towers 1. From [Piazza Maggiore](https://yesgo.io/italy/bologna/san-petronio), 5 minutes on foot along Via Rizzoli. 2. From Bologna Centrale station, 20 minutes on foot or 10 by bus. 3. From the airport, the Marconi Express monorail to the station, then a bus. 4. The towers stand on Piazza di Porta Ravegnana. ## Tips for your visit The best photo spots are the start of Via San Vitale and Via Santo Stefano, where both towers appear in full and you can compare their lean. In the evening they're floodlit and the area is especially atmospheric. If the climb is open, go on a weekday morning in good shoes: the steps are narrow and steep, with no handrail in places. Children and anyone uneasy with heights are better off admiring the towers from below. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Check whether the Asinelli climb is open - [ ] Photograph both towers from Via San Vitale - [ ] Spot Garisenda's lean - [ ] Walk under the porticoes to Piazza Maggiore - [ ] Come back at night for the lighting ## Places in Bologna: compare and choose Places in Bologna rated by YesGo. - [Towers of Bologna](https://yesgo.io/italy/bologna/towers-of-bologna) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free outside - [San Petronio](https://yesgo.io/italy/bologna/san-petronio) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free - [Fountain of Neptune](https://yesgo.io/italy/bologna/fountain-of-neptune-bologna) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free ## Central Bologna in half a day The Two Towers, then Piazza Maggiore with San Petronio and the Fountain of Neptune. 1. [Towers of Bologna](https://yesgo.io/italy/bologna/towers-of-bologna) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free outside 2. [San Petronio](https://yesgo.io/italy/bologna/san-petronio) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free 3. [Fountain of Neptune](https://yesgo.io/italy/bologna/fountain-of-neptune-bologna) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free ## Don't mix it up Bologna's leaning Garisenda and the Leaning Tower of Pisa are different towers in different cities: Pisa's is a cathedral bell tower, Bologna's a medieval family tower. ## Tips - Free to see from outside. - The climb is closed for now; check. - Photos from Via San Vitale. - Piazza Maggiore is 5 minutes away. ## Questions ### Can you climb the Asinelli Tower? The climb is currently suspended while neighbouring Garisenda is stabilised; check the Bologna Welcome site. ### How tall are the Two Towers of Bologna? Asinelli is about 97 metres, Garisenda about 48. ### Why does Garisenda lean? The ground subsided in the Middle Ages, when the tower was also shortened. ### How many towers did Bologna have? Many dozens in the Middle Ages; about twenty survive. ### Where are the Two Towers? On Piazza di Porta Ravegnana, five minutes from Piazza Maggiore. ## How we checked Tower history from English Wikipedia. The climb's status wasn't confirmed with an official source — hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Towers of Bologna - Official tourism site, bolognawelcome.com --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.