ITALY’S LEANING TOWER ABOUT TO COLLAPSE

One of Italy’s leaning towers are leaning a bit too much.

For almost 1,000 years the Garisenda tower in Bologna has stood tipsily. Until very recently, tourists were allowed to climb the tower and experience the scenic views offered by the city of Bologna.

Now, investigations have made it clear that the sudden and unexpected collapse of the tower is possible.

The city council said in a statement that a protective metal cordon will be erected to “contain debris resulting from a possible collapse, to reduce the vulnerability of surrounding buildings and the exposure to the populations, as well as blocking access to the off-limits area”.

CNN reports that the cordon will be fixed into the ground, and will include specially designed rockfall protection nets, also made of metal and also anchored to the ground.

In October, the city’s mayor Matteo Lepore requested the immediate areas surrounding the tower to be blocked off for research reasons. To monitor cracking and creaking noises, acoustic sensors were placed around the tower.

A pendulum was installed in both towers to track movement and see if regular oscillation indicates that it goes above a certain threshold.

So far, the tower is still in good shape.

Image credit: The Times