The Due Torri, the Two Towers of Bologna, are the most recognizable symbol of the city and among the most extraordinary surviving examples of medieval civic architecture in Europe. The Asinelli (97.2 metres, 498 steps, climbable) and the Garisenda (48 metres, severely tilted, not climbable) stand at the intersection of Via Rizzoli and Via Santo Stefano, the point from which Bologna's six radial streets historically departed. They were built in the early 12th century, during the period when Bologna had over 100 towers, visible demonstrations of family wealth and status in a city-state where vertical construction was the arms race of the oligarchy. Of those 100+ towers, approximately 20 remain. The Due Torri are the tallest and most famous.
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Climbing the Asinelli Tower
The Torre degli Asinelli is accessible to visitors (ticket €5, bought at the base). The 498 steps on a wooden internal staircase take 20-30 minutes to ascend at a moderate pace. The staircase is narrow and one-directional (up on one side, down on the other in the upper section). The top platform gives a 360-degree view of Bologna, the terracotta roofscape, the Po Plain stretching north to the Alps on clear days, the Apennines immediately south, and the extraordinary density of the city's portico system visible from above. It is one of the finest urban panoramas in northern Italy. The descent uses a different staircase and takes 15 minutes.
Due Torri: walking tours & guided visits
Compare walking tours and guided experiences around Due Torri.
See availability & prices →Compare tours on Viator →We may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.Practical notes for the Asinelli climb: not suitable for people with claustrophobia (the staircase is tight in the lower section) or significant mobility limitations (no lift, 498 steps). Suitable for reasonably fit visitors in normal health. Children must be supervised. The tower closes during adverse weather (wind, heavy rain). Morning visits are recommended, the light from the east illuminates the Po Plain and the Apennines before afternoon haze develops.
The Garisenda: The Leaning Tower Nobody Talks About
The Torre della Garisenda was originally 60 metres tall but was reduced to its current 48 metres in the 14th century because the lean was considered dangerous. The current lean, approximately 3.2 metres from vertical, gives it a visual drama that is evident from close range. Dante mentioned the Garisenda in the Inferno (Canto XXXI) as a comparison for the terrifying appearance of a giant as he looms over the observer. This literary reference (one of the earliest references to an Italian medieval tower in literature) gives the Garisenda a cultural status that its physical condition, closed, partially scaffolded for ongoing monitoring, impossible to enter, somewhat undermines. The tower isn't climbable and hasn't been for many years. Its value is visual, not experiential.
Questions About Le Due Torri
How much does it cost to climb the Asinelli tower?
€5 per person. No advance booking currently required (check current policy at torreasinelli.com, procedures have changed in recent years). Hours typically 9am-6pm in summer, shorter in winter. The ticket includes the base information panels about the tower's history.
Are the Due Torri worth climbing?
The Asinelli: absolutely yes. The view from the top is the best single panorama of Bologna available and the climb itself, through a medieval wooden staircase inside a 12th-century tower, is architecturally extraordinary. Few tourist experiences in northern Italy offer this combination of physical engagement and visual reward for €5. The Garisenda: not climbable, worth photographing from the base and from the surrounding streets where the lean is most dramatic.
How long does it take to climb the Asinelli?
20-30 minutes up at a moderate pace, 15 minutes down. Add 20-30 minutes at the top for views and photographs. Total: 1-1.5 hours for the complete experience including queuing (if any) at the base.
What is the history of the Due Torri?
Both towers were built in the early 12th century during the period of most intense tower construction in Bologna. The Asinelli family built their tower between approximately 1109 and 1119. The Garisenda family built theirs approximately the same period. The towers were competitive demonstrations of family wealth and civic importance, in a city without a dominant overlord, aristocratic families competed through visible vertical construction. The city at one point had more than 100 towers. The current estimate is that 20-24 survive in several states. The Asinelli was used as a prison (the base), a military watchtower, and a storage facility at several points. It has been continuously accessible to the public since at least the 18th century, when foreign travelers documented climbing it.
What else is near the Due Torri in Bologna?
The Due Torri stand at Piazza di Porta Ravegnana, from which Via Santo Stefano leads to the Basilica of Santo Stefano (a complex of interconnected medieval churches and courtyards, the most atmospheric religious site in Bologna, 5 minutes' walk). Via Rizzoli leads to Piazza Maggiore (10 minutes) with the Basilica di San Petronio and the Palazzo del Podesta. The entire historic center is walkable from this point in any direction.
Curiosità sulle Torri Medievali di Bologna
All'apice della costruzione di torri medievali (XII-XIII secolo), Bologna aveva probabilmente tra 100 e 180 torri, stime varied, tutte basate su fonti parziali. Nessuna città medievale italiana ne aveva di più. La spiegazione è economica e politica: Bologna era una città-stato senza un signore dominante, dove le famiglie aristocratiche competevano tra loro attraverso la visibilità verticale. La torre era ricchezza, potere, e sicurezza fisica tutte in uno, la sommità era un posto difficile da raggiungere per chiunque non fosse invitato. La demolizione progressiva delle torri minori (pericolose, costose da mantenere, politicamente obsolete con l'affermarsi delle signorie) avvenne tra il XIV e il XVI secolo. Le Due Torri sopravvissero perché la loro dimensione e posizione le rendeva punti di riferimento civici inamovibili. Vedi anche: Bologna · Emilia-Romagna · day trips from Bologna.
