Florence finally to be rid of notorious 60-metre crane after two decades

A giant crane that has blighted the skyline of Florence for almost 20 years is to finally be removed.

The controversial structure, described as “a metal monster”, has stood in the centre of the Tuscan capital since 2006, when it was installed in a square opposite the Uffizi Galleries – famous for sublime artworks of the Italian renaissance – and tasked with doing the heavy lifting of materials during the initial phase of the museum’s ongoing expansion.

At more than 60 metres tall and visible from miles away, the crane was used less and less as the construction works dragged on, but there it remained despite numerous attempts to have it removed over its incongruity with the Florence landscape.

Over time, the crane not only became a target of mockery, with an Instagram account set up for the purpose, but also the ultimate symbol of Italy’s notoriously sluggish bureaucracy.

The main things holding back the crane’s removal have been the huge cost and the permissions required from the various levels of authority.

But after some of the city’s entrepreneurs responded to an appeal by the Uffizi’s exasperated director, Simone Verde, and clubbed together to cover the bill, the dismantling of the crane will finally begin on 16 June, culminating in a celebration on the terrace of the galleries’ Loggia dei Lanzi on 21 June. Such is the importance of the occasion, the event will also be attended by Italy’s culture minister, Alessandro Giuli.

“Florence has been waiting for this moment for a long time,” said Verde. “The metal monster is being removed and Florence’s dazzling beauty can finally return intact and unviolated.”

Verde added that the “havoc” caused by the crane had been weighing on the city for far too long, and that he hoped the momentous occasion would mark the beginning of the end of “this cursed construction site”.

Part of the total €180,000 (£152,000) cost will also be used to replace the crane with a less invasive and more sustainable hoist, allowing the works to finally be completed without sullying the city’s aesthetics.

“This operation confirms that good administration can triumph despite everything,” said Verde. “It also testifies that the Uffizi has the capacity to be a model for cultural efficiency and a true flag for Italy in the world.”