ATs in tandem repair historic Italian church

Italian crane rental and transport company Santoni Autogrù used two of its Grove all terrain cranes, a GMK4100L-2 and a GMK4100L-1, to repair a local church after it was struck by lightning last year.

The cranes worked in tandem to reattach the church’s cross to the bell tower. (Photo: Grove)

Located in Pinzolo, Italy, the San Lorenzo church’s 100 kg cross was detached from the building’s bell tower. The bell tower, built between 1865 and 1867, is 72 metres high, and is the tallest bell tower in the Trentino-Alto Adige region.

The two Grove cranes worked in tandem to repair and replace the fallen cross in a single day.

Space limitations

“We had to position our cranes very close to the bell tower and extend their reach to 75 metres to replace the cross,” said Giacomo Santoni, manager at Santoni Autogrù. “There was minimal room for the cranes to operate in the square, so they were forced into a tight space. But we still managed to complete the job in less than 24 hours.”

The entire operation took place in a single day. (Photo: Grove)

Santoni Autogrù acquired its 100 tonne capacity GMK4100L-2 in February this year and has been operating its GMK4100L-1 since purchasing it in 2018.

As seen from above: There was minimal room for the cranes to operate in the square, so they were forced into a tight space. (Photo: Grove)

“We are very impressed with our Grove cranes. They operate efficiently and are very easy to set up. We’ve reached the peaks of ski slopes and ski lifts several times with our GMK4100L-1, always without any problems,” added Santoni. 

“Our crane operators also praise our Grove cranes because they have cabs that can be tilted to 20° for peak visibility and their comfort levels are unmatched. Comfort is especially important for operators when they have to spend six or more hours a day with the crane.”

The company has ordered a GMK5150XL all terrain crane, which will arrive at the end of this year

Santoni Autogrù is a family-run, crane rental and transport company based in the Trentino-Alto Adige region of northern Italy. It was founded in 1952 and offers mobile crane rental as well as transportation services.