Asinelli

Asinelli refers to the Torre degli Asinelli, a medieval brick tower in Bologna, Italy. It is one of the city’s famous Due Torri, the other being the Garisenda Tower. Built in the 12th century by the Asinelli family, the tower served as a symbol of wealth and as a defensive lookout over the surrounding urban area and walls.

The Torre degli Asinelli is a tall, rectangular structure with a brick exterior and a square ground plan. It rises to about 97 meters, making it the taller of Bologna’s two towers. Over the centuries it fulfilled various practical roles, including signaling and surveillance, while also standing as a prominent display of the family’s prestige within the medieval city.

Today the tower is owned by the municipality of Bologna and is open to visitors. A steep, narrow stone staircase ascends to a viewing platform near the top, comprising roughly 498 steps. From the summit, visitors can see Bologna’s historic center with its red-tiled roofs, as well as views of the surrounding countryside.

The Torre degli Asinelli stands near Porta Ravegnana in central Bologna and remains a defining feature of the city’s skyline. Along with the Garisenda Tower, it is a major tourist attraction and a lasting emblem of Bologna’s medieval urban heritage. Preservation efforts have aimed to maintain the structure’s stability and accessibility for future generations.