The Ursus floating crane pontoon is a fascinating structure that is part of Trieste’s history and is, in a sense, the symbol of the city’s shipbuilding vocation. Designed, built, and put into operation around the time of the First World War, it played a key role from the 1930s onwards in the most complex and challenging operations that took place in the shipyards of Trieste. Today, it is a cultural heritage asset whose preservation and enhancement are at the centre of an interesting debate in the city, especially regarding its future location.

First and foremost, however, an important restoration and maintenance work needs to be carried out, which has been entrusted, through a tender process, to us at Cartubi. We welcome with joy and satisfaction the challenge of taking care of such an important piece of Trieste’s shipbuilding history. The technical issues to be resolved, particularly regarding the transport of the enormous structure, are not easily solved, but we plan to undertake the transfer of the large floating crane to our shipyards for thorough maintenance in April. Thanks to our work, it will then be possible to place the Ursus in a location that enhances its historical importance and does justice to the role that this naval engineering work played in Trieste’s development in the last century.