Description

Built around the twelfth century, probably at the same time as the Asinelli tower was built, the leaning Garisenda tower is about 48m high. It is also called the Mozzata (Docked) tower, because it is said to have been hight than it now is. Dante Alighieri supports this hypothesis in the 31st canto of his 'Inferno' (v136-138) when he said: '..Qual pare a riguardar la Garisenda sotto 'l chinato, quando un nuvol vada sovr'essa sì, che ella incontro penda' (It seems that I am looking at the Garisenda tower under its incline, and when a cloud passes over, it leans a little). We can also deduce that the tower aquired its lean quite quickly, perhaps due to a subsidance in the ground. There is a plaque inscribed with Dante's verses on the leaning side of the tower.