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Ammon News - It’s become Italy’s other “leaning tower.” And now, after mounting concern that the Torre Garisenda in Bologna might be on the verge of collapse, a plan has been hatched to save it using the same equipment that shored up the Tower of Pisa.

The 48-meter (158 feet) Garisenda tower was built in the 12th century, during a boom period of the northern city’s history, but two centuries later it had already begun to tilt. Today, it leans at an angle of four degrees, just a little more than the Pisa tower’s current 3.9-degree slant.

Late last year, the streets around the Garisenda were temporarily sealed off as scientists monitored the structure for evidence of movement and cracking, concluding that it was at “high risk” of collapsing.

Bologna’s mayor, Matteo Lepore, announced on Wednesday that pylons and cables previously used to save the tower in Pisa would be deployed along with adapted steel scaffolding to help prevent it from breaking apart.

“This will make it possible to secure the tower,” Lepore told a press conference. He said it could allow the Asinelli Tower, a taller structure that stands next to Garisenda, to reopen to the public.

“In 2025 and 2026 there will be further consolidation and restoration work, which still needs to be planned,” Lepori added.

CNN