Despite the Garisenda "leaning tower" in Italy standing firm for about 1,000 years, Italian authorities have begun to formulate protective plans due to fears of a "sudden and unexpected collapse of the tower." The condition of the tower has put the Bologna City Council on alert, as a protective metallic cordon will be established to guard against "debris that may result from a potential collapse, to minimize the vulnerability of surrounding buildings or exposure to residents," according to a report published by CNN.
The protective cordon will be anchored to the ground and will include protective nets designed for rockfalls made of metal. The warning about the potential collapse was issued by a specialized scientific committee that has been monitoring Garisenda and its foundations since 2019, which is one of the "twin towers." Experts believe that safety conditions are no longer adequate for operations within or around the tower.
Monitoring of the tower has revealed "an unexpected and accelerating trend of overwhelming pressure" at its base, along with gradual disintegration of the stone used for the base cladding and widening cracks in the brick, which prompted a halt to ongoing restoration work and the implementation of a no-go zone. A spokesperson for the network stated that "the tower is not on the verge of immediate collapse," but "we are acting as if the worst-case scenario could happen, but that does not mean it will."
He added that the current precautions are at "yellow alert, not red, where collapse is imminent... no one knows when that might be... it could be in three months, 10 years, or 20 years."
