
One of the possible explanations for the vertical construction craze is that rich families used the towers as a symbol of wealth and status, as well as for defensive purposes to guard their land. Some of the smaller structures were built as dwellings.
The exact number of towers built in medieval Bologna is not clear. It was suggested that up to 180 towers were present in the city as of the 13th century, but a more realistic amount is probably around 100, which is still very impressive considering how difficult it was to built such tall structures with the limited resources of medieval Italy.
After the 13th century, some towers were demolished, others collapsed, and many were destined to different uses, such as residential or commercial buildings, or as prisons. The last demolitions occurred in the early 20th century, along with the 14th-century city walls.
Of the towers that remain today, the most famous are the "Two Towers": the 320-foot Asinelli Tower and the truncated Garisenda Tower, both of which are leaning.
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For millennia we have been told that Jesus Christ died for our sins. So much focus on sin hasn’t left much room for theologians to talk about Jesus’ thoughts on economic justice. But what if, as a social reformer, Jesus was killed because he talked about reforming the economics of his day? Writing-off debt has been a cornerstone of economic reform for millennia, so could it have been debt that Jesus wanted to do away with? Host Ross Ashcroft travels to New York to meet economist Michael Hudson whose latest book explains why ancient debt principles have never been more relevant today.