Leaning Tower In Italy Could Topple Over

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Officials in Italy are launching a nearly $5-million project to shore up a leaning tower dating back to the 12th Century over fears it could topple over.

No, it's not Pisa.

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Garisenda Tower is one of the famed "Two Towers," built between 1109 and 1119 in the northern city of Bologna. Together with the adjacent Asinelli Tower, the site is a popular tourist attraction and landmark that has inspired artists and poets for centuries.

Garisenda, at 157 feet, is the shorter of the two. The Italian government's official web page for the site notes that Dante mentioned its lean in The Divine Comedy, written in 1321.

“We inherited a situation that over the centuries has caused this illness,’’ Bologna Mayor Matteo Leporehe said, according to The Associated Press.

The mayor has asked the government to petition to designate the towers as a UNESCO world heritage site.

R​estoration work at the site has been ongoing for several decades, but officials on Friday announced a $4.7 million project for more permanent improvements, the AP reported. In the meantime, they've cordoned off the tower for safety reasons.

W​ork is expected to take place in January and February.

T​he Two Towers' more famous cousin, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, underwent extensive reinforcement work in the 1990s.

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