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Authorities are guarding the area around the Garisenda Tower in Bologna, Italy, fearing the tower may collapse, and city officials are rushing to preserve it.
AP
Authorities have secured the area around one of the two 12th-century towers that are a symbol of the northern city of Bologna, fearing its leaning could lead to its collapse.
The city announced Friday that it will spend $4.7 million to strengthen Garisenda Tower. The Garisenda Tower is one of the so-called Two Towers overlooking the center of Bologna and has been an inspiration for painters and poets for centuries, as well as a vantage point during times of conflict.
Construction will continue from January to February.
Italy’s civil protection agency has issued an amber alert for the scene, indicating it is on alert but not in immediate danger.
Garisenda is the shorter of the two towers, built between 1109 and 1119, and is currently 157 feet high, while Asinelli’s is 320 feet high.
Mayor Matteo Lepore pointed out during a debate earlier this month that the Garisenda Tower has been leaning ever since it was built and “has been a concern ever since.” It suffered further damage during the Middle Ages when ironworks and bakeries were built inside it.
“We have inherited conditions that have caused this disease for centuries,” he said. The mayor asked the government to petition to have the towers listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Work to strengthen both towers has been ongoing since the 1990s.
Preliminary work on Garisenda Tower includes creating a containment area to prevent a “potential collapse” from damaging nearby buildings or harming passersby, the city said in a statement.
Video cameras will continue to monitor the scene.
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