Due Torri

What kind of a cold-​hearted moron would vote this less than 5 stars? It’s a 100 meter tower that was built a million years ago. The stairs are totally sturdy, though challenging at points. It’s clean. The views at the top are impeccable. AND it only costs 3 Euros! Essential essential essential.

Our Italian friend and guide while we visited Bologna insisted that we had to climb the towers. You climb the taller of the two for spectacular views of Bologna and the surrounding country.
I think it was € 3 entry (as far as I remember). You pay having climbed your first thirty or so steps.
The ascent isn’t so bad. There are 485 steps. We counted them to keep ourselves distracted on the way up.
There are a few places where the steps are quite narrow and it’s necessary to squish in a corner to allow people to pass but every 50 to 70 steps there was a wooden platform to divide up the tower and give you the opportunity to pass people without getting to know them quite so well.
When you reach the top you can walk the whole way around the tower and the view of the city is stunning. I’m sure it helped that it was a beautiful blue sky day. The roads seem to protrude straight in every direction like the spokes of a bicycle with the towers at their centre.
The only problem with being at the top is having to come back down again which I personally think is far worse than going up. It’s quite steep so take it slowly and watch your step!
It is well worth the climb, and for all the gelato you’ll deserve when you get to the bottom again!

Not for those scared of heights although Kathryn S. made her way up and down those 500 stairs. This will be your workout for the day do it after you explore the rest of the city because you’ll be needing a cat nap after this. The stairs are wood, creaky, dusty and old, an acrophobities worse fear. Once you reach the top maybe 30min or so later or more depending on your endurance you are happily rewarded with a view of the entire city! Did I mention that this is only 3 euros? I wouldn’t miss this if I was visiting Bologna but if you’re terrified of heights you might want to send a friend up with your camera.

The symbol of Bologna is a Renaissance version of keeping up with the Joneses. There was a functional element, since these lofty perches were used for signaling and defense (as recently as WW2), but were also a way to display the wealth of prominent families in the area. These two towers offer a little glimpse of what the city skyline was like in its golden age, when approx. 150 towers filled the city. [1]
The other architectural marvel of Bologna are the porticos (covered walkways), that still exist throughout the historic center of town. It is said you can walk for miles without getting a drop of rain on your head. Put the two together and it makes perfect sense. You need the porticos to protect you from the falling towers. Over the centuries, towers crumbled or were destroyed by fire, lightning and wars.
Both towers lean and when I visited, the taller tower, Asinelli, had scaffolds and cables to stabilize the structure during reconstruction. This narrow tower stands 97m tall and is still open on a limited basis for visitors who can climb the 498 steps for a view of the city. Unfortunately, at present it is only open on weekends from 10:00a — 5:00p (€ 3 entrance fee).
The Garisenda Tower is its little brother at 47m and has the more pronounced lean of the two. Several centuries ago, they reduced the height for safety reasons and it is closed to the public.
At the base of the towers is a statue of San Petronio standing with open arms and an arcade with windows displaying examples of local art and culture. For example, the tradition of puppetry and hand painted pottery. The towers are certainly in a state of decay and disrepair, but also are a gateway to beauty.
[1] Reports vary from 100 — 180.

I ascended the 500 stairs to the top of the tower and the view was incredible! Inside, the stairs and creeky and old, giving a really cool effect to the whole experience as the tower was built in the 1100’s. It felt like I stepped into a different time and century where knights and princesses once existed. Once you reach the top, you can view the entire city of Bologna for a mere 3 euros. I went there on a date and it was very romantic! A great place to go alone or with friends as well. Worth every penny!