19/02/2024
These two leaning towers are symbol of Bologna, a town in northern Italy which was once nicknamed ‘La Turrita’ on account of its 150+towers, of which only 24 remain today. Legend has it that they were inspiration for World Trade Center, since architect Minoru Yamasaki visited Bologna while designing Trade Center towers.
Both Towers take name of families who in 12th Century CE, ordered their construction, in a kind of competition to show which family was wealthiest and most powerful. Tallest of two is called Asinelli, while shorter is Garisenda, which leans more than Tower of Pisa by 0.1 degree. In fact, Garisenda was once taller than Asinelli, but when ground yielded in 14th Century CE, incline became so dangerous that they had to shorten it by 12m. Dante Alighieri saw it while it was still at its full height, and referred to it in Canto 31 of The Inferno where he compared it to doubled over giant, Anteo.
Garisenda Tower was acquired in 15th Century CE, by Corporation of Drapers, which had their headquarters in front of tower and used outside square as a market. It became a property of city at end of 19th Century CE. Asinelli was turned over much earlier, in 14th Century CE, after which it was used as a prison and small stronghold connected to the Garisenda by a small wooden bridge.
It is from this tower that some of Galileo’s conjectures about gravity and acceleration of falling bodies were finally demonstrated through repeated, consistent, and precise experiments which could be reproduced by other scientists. This was done by dropping objects of different weights, shapes and materials from top of tower, rigorously at night when there were no passersby.
Time it took for them to reach ground was kept with help of a precisely constructed pendulum and a small chorus of Jesuits chanting in unison to provide an audible timer not a perfect method, but most reliable that could be used at time.
