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Two Towers of Bologna

Bologna's leaning medieval pair, standing together since 1119.

  • Bologna
  • Tower
Plan your visitBuy tickets
Where
Bologna
Best for
Asinelli and Garisenda towers
Allow
30 minutes
Tickets
Free

Of the dozens of defensive towers medieval Bologna's rival families once built, only a handful survive, and none rival the pairing at Porta Ravegnana: the Asinelli, at 97 meters the taller of the two, and its shorter, more dramatically tilted neighbor, the Garisenda.

Both went up between 1109 and 1119, and Dante mentions the Garisenda's lean directly in the Inferno, comparing a giant he meets to the tower as seen from beneath its overhang. For decades, climbing the Asinelli's 498 steps for a view over Bologna's red rooftops was the city's classic small ordeal. The Garisenda’s lean is a genuine structural concern, and both towers still dominate Piazza di Porta Ravegnana.

Four things worth finding

If you see nothing else, see these.

  1. The Asinelli summitAsinelli family, 1109 to 1119

    About 97 meters up, with a sea of red rooftops and the hills around Bologna laid out below.At the top of the 498 steps

  2. The lean of the GarisendaGarisenda family

    The shorter tower leans by about three meters; it is best appreciated from outside the tower.Seen from Piazza di Porta Ravegnana

  3. Dante's GarisendaDante Alighieri, Inferno XXXI

    Dante compares the giant Antaeus bending over him to the Garisenda seen from under its lean, a line that ties the tower to literature.The tower's overhang seen from beneath

  4. The Loggia della Mercanzia

    A Gothic trading loggia that shows what this corner of medieval Bologna looked like beyond the towers.On the same square, beside the towers

Plan your visit

Everything you need before you go.

Tickets
Free
Booking
Book ahead
Time needed
30 minutes
Best time
Early morning, when Piazza di Porta Ravegnana is emptiest for photographing both towers together.
Getting there
The towers stand in Piazza di Porta Ravegnana, a short walk from Piazza Maggiore in the heart of Bologna, easily reached on foot from the train station or by any city bus toward the center.
Accessibility
The Asinelli's 498 steps have no elevator and are not wheelchair accessible even when open; the piazza itself is level and easy to reach for anyone who only wants to view the towers from outside.

Viewing the towers from the piazza is free. The Asinelli climb, when open, is ticketed at around €5 (€3 reduced) with compulsory advance booking.

Don't linger only at the base: cross into the side streets off the piazza and look back, the lean of the Garisenda reads much more dramatically from an angle than head on.

Official website
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Before you book

How long should you spend at the Two Towers?

About half an hour. That covers the climb to the top of the Asinelli, the view over the rooftops and a look at the pair from the square below.

Do you need to book the Two Towers?

Yes, book a timed entry ahead in high season if you want to climb the Asinelli, since access is regulated. Only the Asinelli can be climbed; the Garisenda is only for looking at.

Is climbing the Asinelli Tower worth it?

Yes, if you are comfortable with 498 steps. It is the classic small ordeal of Bologna and the view over the red rooftops is the best in the city.

More to see nearby

Same city first, then the nearest across the region.

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