In Florence, a construction crane near the Uffizi Gallery will soon be removed. The crane has been standing opposite the famous Italian museum since 2006, but was hardly used anymore. Local entrepreneurs have pooled money to have the ‘metal monster’ removed.
The construction crane was installed almost twenty years ago for the expansion of the Galleria degli Uffizi, the most famous museum in Florence. But in recent years, the crane was hardly needed anymore. Yet it remained standing.
The crane quickly gained the nickname ‘metal monster’ because it was an eyesore for many residents. The crane is now so famous that it has its own (satirical) Instagram page.
According to The Guardian, the crane remained standing for so long mainly due to the slow-moving Italian bureaucracy and the high costs of the removal operation. Uffizi director Simone Verde was so bothered by this that he made a call for a fundraising campaign. Local entrepreneurs responded to this, the newspaper reports.
The project involves an amount of approximately 180,000 euros. This will remove the crane and replace it with another, less visible lifting solution.
The work will begin on Monday, June 16. The job should be completed with a party on June 21. Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli has already promised that he will attend the festivities.