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The Star
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Bologna's leaning tower to be stabilised by late 2028, mayor says
FILE PHOTO: A general view of the medieval Garisenda tower, also known as the "leaning tower", and the Asinelli tower in Bologna, Italy, December 3, 2023. REUTERS / Jennifer Lorenzini/File Photo ROME (Reuters) - A leaning medieval tower in the centre of Bologna that was cordoned off due to the risk of its collapse is expected to be stabilised and restored by late 2028, the northern Italian city's mayor said on Tuesday. Like the more famous Tower of Pisa, the 12th-century Garisenda tower has leaned for centuries, as the ground on which it was built gave way soon after its construction. In October 2023, however, the area immediately surrounding the 48-metre structure, where the taller Asinelli tower (97 metres) is also located, was closed off. Presenting repair plans, Mayor Matteo Lepore said the process of stabilising the tower would allow the area to be reopened in 2028: a more optimistic target date than the 10-year time frame he initially gave in 2023. "It is a world-unique project, if anything, because ours is a world-unique tower," he said during a press conference, flanked by engineering experts. The Garisenda is a much-loved landmark, mentioned in Dante Alighieri's "Divine Comedy" and "Le Rime", as well as in Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's "Voyage to Italy" and Charles Dickens' "Pictures from Italy". The tower is expected to be reinforced using machinery and expertise previously tested on the Tower of Pisa. The project is expected to cost nearly 20 million euros ($22 million), Lepore said, with financing coming from local, regional and European Union funds, as well as private donations. Under the plan presented on Tuesday, which still requires approval from Italian art heritage authorities, two plinths will be erected next to the tower, topped with metal pylons reaching to a height of about 20 metres. Polyester bands attached to the pylons will wrap around the tower to gently counter its tendency to lean south and eastwards, the experts said, adding that the foundations will meanwhile be strengthened through injections. The Garisenda and Asinelli towers bear the names of the influential medieval families that built them. The Garisenda was originally about 60 metres tall, but it was lowered in the second half of the 14th century to improve its precarious stability. ($1 = 0.9003 euros) (Reporting by Alvise Armellini; Editing by Joe Bavier)
Reuters
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Reuters
Bologna's leaning tower to be stabilised by late 2028, mayor says
ROME, May 13 (Reuters) - A leaning medieval tower in the centre of Bologna that was cordoned off due to the risk of its collapse is expected to be stabilised and restored by late 2028, the northern Italian city's mayor said on Tuesday. Like the more famous Tower of Pisa, the 12th-century Garisenda tower has leaned for centuries, as the ground on which it was built gave way soon after its construction. In October 2023, however, the area immediately surrounding the 48-metre structure, where the taller Asinelli tower (97 metres) is also located, was closed off. Presenting repair plans, Mayor Matteo Lepore said the process of stabilising the tower would allow the area to be reopened in 2028: a more optimistic target date than the 10-year time frame he initially gave in 2023. "It is a world-unique project, if anything, because ours is a world-unique tower," he said during a press conference, flanked by engineering experts. The Garisenda is a much-loved landmark, mentioned in Dante Alighieri's "Divine Comedy" and "Le Rime", as well as in Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's "Voyage to Italy" and Charles Dickens' "Pictures from Italy". The tower is expected to be reinforced using machinery and expertise previously tested on the Tower of Pisa. The project is expected to cost nearly 20 million euros ($22 million), Lepore said, with financing coming from local, regional and European Union funds, as well as private donations. Under the plan presented on Tuesday, which still requires approval from Italian art heritage authorities, two plinths will be erected next to the tower, topped with metal pylons reaching to a height of about 20 metres. Polyester bands attached to the pylons will wrap around the tower to gently counter its tendency to lean south and eastwards, the experts said, adding that the foundations will meanwhile be strengthened through injections. The Garisenda and Asinelli towers bear the names of the influential medieval families that built them. The Garisenda was originally about 60 metres tall, but it was lowered in the second half of the 14th century to improve its precarious stability. ($1 = 0.9003 euros)
CNN
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Robbie Williams says fan photos can trigger anxiety and cause ‘discomfort'
Robbie Williams has opened up about the discomfort and anxiety he feels when interacting with strangers. In a series of screenshots posted to Instagram on Thursday, the British singer shared his feelings on being approached for photos with fans while out in public. 'Every interaction – with strangers or even people I know well – fills me with discomfort,' admitted the former 'Take That' member. 'I mask it well. But social interaction still frightens me,' he said, adding that the fear kept him from going out for years. Williams said he was writing his thoughts while on a domestic flight in the United States, having been approached three times by his fellow passengers. 'One of them handed me a lovely note… and then asked for a photo,' he said, adding that he wrote back explaining he had been 'up since 4:30 a.m., had two hours' sleep, and wrangled four kids through the airport.' 'I explained that if they came and took a photo with me, my anxiety would spike - because then the whole cabin would start wondering who I am.' After the first request, another fan asked for a photo and Williams responded with a similar note. '(I) said that when we land, I'll be trying to shepherd four children… I just hoped the note might be enough.' As he was writing the second note, a third passenger walked up to him and asked for a photo 'outright' – to which the singer said he obliged. Though he sees it as being a 'service' to make others happy, Williams criticized the expectation that celebrities should be 'accessible 24/7' to the public. 'I reckon over 50% – probably much more – couldn't name one of my albums, let alone say they've bought a ticket to a show,' he added, saying it was 'off' to think that everyone who asks for a photo has had a hand in his success. 'They're no more fans of me than they are of the Leaning Tower of Pisa or Big Ben. They're fans of fame.' Williams, however, didn't want to deter true fans from making their feelings known if they spot him in public. 'If we cross paths in the wild and you are a fan of me, I want you to tell me. That means a lot,' wrote the 'Angels' singer. 'But here's an open question: do you think there should be a limit to how many people can access you in a day?' Williams, whose biographical musical drama 'A Better Man' released last year, said he panics 'every time' a stranger approaches him, noting he can have 20 such daily interactions on average - and they're not always positive. 'What if I'm having a challenging mental health day – is it okay if I don't want that captured by a stranger?' he asked, adding that there might be some personal reasons why he's 'sad' and doesn't want to 'perform.' The post was filled with sympathetic comments, including from other famous faces. 'This made me cry… thank you for being vulnerable and saying how you feel,' wrote Paris Hilton. 'Impeccably articulate on this. I've struggled terribly my whole career with the same,' commented singer Paloma Faith. Earlier this month, Williams revealed that he had been diagnosed with scurvy, a vitamin deficiency. He also spoke about struggles with his mental health, including anxiety and depression. Williams is set to kick off a tour in May that will take him to the United Kingdom, Ireland and Europe through the summer.
CNN
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Robbie Williams says fan photos can trigger anxiety and cause ‘discomfort'
Robbie Williams has opened up about the discomfort and anxiety he feels when interacting with strangers. In a series of screenshots posted to Instagram on Thursday, the British singer shared his feelings on being approached for photos with fans while out in public. 'Every interaction – with strangers or even people I know well – fills me with discomfort,' admitted the former 'Take That' member. 'I mask it well. But social interaction still frightens me,' he said, adding that the fear kept him from going out for years. Williams said he was writing his thoughts while on a domestic flight in the United States, having been approached three times by his fellow passengers. 'One of them handed me a lovely note… and then asked for a photo,' he said, adding that he wrote back explaining he had been 'up since 4:30 a.m., had two hours' sleep, and wrangled four kids through the airport.' 'I explained that if they came and took a photo with me, my anxiety would spike - because then the whole cabin would start wondering who I am.' After the first request, another fan asked for a photo and Williams responded with a similar note. '(I) said that when we land, I'll be trying to shepherd four children… I just hoped the note might be enough.' As he was writing the second note, a third passenger walked up to him and asked for a photo 'outright' – to which the singer said he obliged. Though he sees it as being a 'service' to make others happy, Williams criticized the expectation that celebrities should be 'accessible 24/7' to the public. 'I reckon over 50% – probably much more – couldn't name one of my albums, let alone say they've bought a ticket to a show,' he added, saying it was 'off' to think that everyone who asks for a photo has had a hand in his success. 'They're no more fans of me than they are of the Leaning Tower of Pisa or Big Ben. They're fans of fame.' Williams, however, didn't want to deter true fans from making their feelings known if they spot him in public. 'If we cross paths in the wild and you are a fan of me, I want you to tell me. That means a lot,' wrote the 'Angels' singer. 'But here's an open question: do you think there should be a limit to how many people can access you in a day?' Williams, whose biographical musical drama 'A Better Man' released last year, said he panics 'every time' a stranger approaches him, noting he can have 20 such daily interactions on average - and they're not always positive. 'What if I'm having a challenging mental health day – is it okay if I don't want that captured by a stranger?' he asked, adding that there might be some personal reasons why he's 'sad' and doesn't want to 'perform.' The post was filled with sympathetic comments, including from other famous faces. 'This made me cry… thank you for being vulnerable and saying how you feel,' wrote Paris Hilton. 'Impeccably articulate on this. I've struggled terribly my whole career with the same,' commented singer Paloma Faith. Earlier this month, Williams revealed that he had been diagnosed with scurvy, a vitamin deficiency. He also spoke about struggles with his mental health, including anxiety and depression. Williams is set to kick off a tour in May that will take him to the United Kingdom, Ireland and Europe through the summer.
