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Medieval Bologna

The towers in Bologna are residential and defensive structures that were built in the XII-XIII centuries in the Italian city of Bologna. From 80 to 100 towers were built in the city, but now only two dozen of them have been preserved and are the sights of the city. These Bologna towers have similar square shapes with symmetrical openings on the outer walls.
The reason for the towers in Bologna is not completely clear, but they were probably built for defensive purposes during the struggle for investiture, the conflict between the church and the secular authorities. The height of the tower also served as an indicator of the status and wealth of its owner. The towers could be used for both residential and defensive and representative purposes during periods of political conflict between the Guelphs and Ghibellines.
In the XIII century, the Bologna towers, which had ceased to play an important role in defense, began to collapse and be dismantled by their owners. These buildings required a lot of maintenance and took up a lot of space in the city. The remaining towers were converted into housing, shops, prisons, city towers and beffroy. Scientist Giovanni Battista Riccioli conducted experiments in the Asinelli Tower related to free fall and the rotation of the Earth. The tallest towers suffered from lightning during bad weather, but the installation of lightning rods in the 19th century helped prevent fires and collapses on them.