Piazza di Porta Ravegnana

The two leaning stone towers, the Asinelli and the Garisenda, loom over the Piazza di Porta Ravegnana like jagged teeth. These medieval skyscrapers were built in the early twelfth century by rival noble families, likely as fortified status symbols. While the taller Asinelli stands straight enough to remain a landmark, the shorter Garisenda began to tilt during construction, forcing builders to truncate it mid-project. Dante even mentioned this precarious, leaning silhouette in his Divine Comedy after passing through the city.