Italian crane and aerial lift rental company Minguzzi has used one of its Multitel MJ 375 truck mounted aerial work platforms to install a new lightning protection system on the Arch of Constantine, in Rome’s Colosseum Archaeological Park.
The Arch of Constantine is the largest surviving triumphal arch and stands along the ancient triumphal route between the Circus Maximus and the Arch of Titus, it commemorates Constantine’s victory over Maxentius on October 28th 312 BC, following the Battle of the Milvian Bridge. It is more than 21 metres high, 25.9 metres wide and 7.4 metres deep, and was partly built using materials and architectural elements from earlier imperial monuments.
The delicate task of installing the lightning rod was closely supervised by Italy’s Ministry of Culture, with Minguzzi carrying out the work using one of its 38 metre Multitel MJ 375s. Mounted on an 18 tonne Iveco chassis, it features a working height of 37.5 metres, an outreach of 25.8 metres with 120kg, 280kg at 24.3 metres and 20.8 metres with the maximum platform capacity of 500kg. The machine also offers 360 degree continuous slew, a 2.5 to 3.8 metre extendable platform with 360 degrees of platform rotation - 180° + 180° - and a telescopic jib allowing the operator to work around obstacles.
In addition to running a fleet All Terrain cranes up to 300 tonnes, truck mounted and spider lifts, as well as scissor lifts and loader cranes, the company has built a reputation for working on and moving ancient monuments and works of art. Its most prestigious projects include the transfer of Michelangelo's Pietà to the Metropolitan Museum in New York, and the return of the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius to the Capitoline Hill earning the trust of institutions such as the City of Rome, the Archaeological Superintendence and the Vatican Museums.
The company is managed by a fourth generation in the form of Stefano Minguzzi, who joined the business in 1985, and now works alongside his son Mattia.
Speaking about the Arch of Constantine project, Minguzzi said: “This isn’t just praise – the MJ 375 truly proved to be an extraordinary machine, the balance between height, outreach, and movement precision—combined with the reliability of Multitel’s service and the professionalism of Maurizio Bussi—were key reasons we chose it for such delicate work on a prestigious site like the Arch of Constantine.”
The company was established at the end of the 19th century by Giuseppe Minguzzi, using specialist equipment and techniques of his own design. He soon gained a reputation for the removal, transportation and arrangement of historic monuments and artworks, which has been handed down to each generation which have enhanced honed their skills to the present day.
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