
1999 – The city of Bologna, Italy, with the Via Rizzoli in the center, seen from the Torre degli Asinelli. Photo © by Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com
The story behind the image
I am afraid of heights, but in 1999 I managed to climb up inside the Asinelli Tower in Bologna, Italy. It’s the larger tower of the historic twin towers that are located in the town center. The narrow inner stairs were old but sturdy, and it was really busy. Groups of tourists were walking up and down, and it was quite an effort, so we had to pause and adjust now and then. But once you are at the top you will enjoy the awesome 360° view across the city!
In this image, I placed the Bologna’s ‘High Street’, the Via Rizzoli, into the center, and it’s quite impressive. Less impressive, however, is the smog in the distance. Back in 1999 the cars were not as eco-friendly as they are today, so it’s not a big surprise that the city was plagued by smog more often.
One of the visual treats are certainly the red roofs surrounding the tower. But Bologna is called the “Red City” (or just “La Rossa” in Italian) not just because of the overwhelming color of the roofs – a sea of red, really – when seen from high above, but because it has been governed by the left wing party for ages.
The high resolution image
| Capture Date | 1999 |
| Location | Bologna, Italy |
| Camera | Canon AE-1 Program |
| Image Source | Fuji Slide Film |
| Digital Image Source | EPSON Perfection 4870 Photo |
| Digital Image File Format | TIFF, 48 bits/pixel, sRGB |
| Edited Image Format | JPEG, 24 bits/pixel, sRGB |
| Edited Image Dimensions | 4025 x 6038 Pixels |
| Copyright | © by Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com |