Costa Concordia is about to arrive in the port of Genoa for scrapping after a two-year salvage operation.
The wrecked cruise ship’s removal was one of the biggest ever maritime salvage operations.
Costa Concordia struck a reef off the Italian island of Giglio in January 2012 and capsized, killing 32 people.
Captain Francesco Schettino has denied charges of multiple manslaughter and abandoning ship, which could see him jailed for up to 20 years.
Italian PM Matteo Renzi is expected in Genoa in the afternoon to see the end of the complex docking procedure, which is expected to take several hours.
Costa Concordia is about to arrive in the port of Genoa for scrapping after a two-year salvage operation
“The operation to recover the Concordia was not easy. Italy carried it out, the Italy that, when it sets out to, is capable of doing anything, even of surprising us,” Matteo Renzi said.
Antonio Benvenuti, the head of Genoa’s harbor workers’ union, told AP that there was no “precise schedule” for each stage of dealing with the wreck.
Tests will be carried out first to monitor for potential pollution problems, Antonio Benvenuti said, before the first stage of the operation would begin, reducing the weight of the ship in order to lift it.
The Costa Concordia was re-floated nine days ago and was kept above the surface by giant buoyancy chambers. More than a dozen vessels helped to tow the ship after it was pulled away from Giglio on Wednesday.
The wreck was hauled upright in September last year but was still partially submerged, resting on six steel platforms.
Investigators are still looking for the body of Indian waiter Russel Rebello, whose body is the only one not to have been found.
The Costa Concordia’s owners, Costa Crociere, estimate the operation to remove the wreck from the reef and tow it for scrapping will cost 1.5 billion euros ($2 billion) in total.
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The wrecked Costa Concordia cruise ship is being towed on its final journey to the port of Genoa for scrapping.
Its removal is one of the biggest ever maritime salvage operations.
Costa Concordia struck a reef off the Italian island of Giglio in January 2012 and capsized, killing 32 people.
It was re-floated nine days ago and is being kept above the surface by giant buoyancy chambers. Over a dozen vessels will help to tow the ship.
The wrecked Costa Concordia cruise ship is being towed on its final journey to the port of Genoa for scrapping (photo Getty Images)
The wreck was hauled upright in September last year but was still partially submerged, resting on six steel platforms.
The cruise ship is being towed to Genoa at two knots, almost at walking pace, with an escort of more than a dozen tug boats.
The journey, which is expected to take four days, began shortly before 09:00 local time.
Senior salvage master Nick Sloane said early on Wednesday that everything was going according to plan.
However, French ecology minister Segolene Royal has said she will monitor the ship’s movement from Corsica. Residents on the island fear that any oil leak from the cruise ship could cause significant environmental damage.
The Concordia is set to sail 15 miles from Corsica and close to the islands of Elba and Capri before its expected arrival in Genoa late on Saturday.
Investigators are still looking for the body of Indian waiter Russel Rebello, whose body is the only one not to have been found.
The Costa Concordia’s owners, Costa Crociere, estimate the operation to remove the wreck from the reef and tow it for scrapping will cost 1.5 billion euros ($2 billion) in total.
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Udinese football club fan Arrigo Brovedani has stolen media attention in Italy after being the only supporter to show up to watch his club play an away game in the top league.
Arrigo Brovedani was the club’s sole supporter in Genoa for a Serie A match against local team Sampdoria.
The 30-something wine merchant found himself alone in the visitors’ section.
But Sampdoria stewards gave him coffee and home fans invited him for a drink after the match.
Arrigo Brovedani said he had not expected to find many fellow supporters from Udinese, one of the smaller clubs in Serie A.
It was a cold Monday night and Udinese never attracts more than 50 or 60 away fans.
Udinese football club fan Arrigo Brovedani has stolen media attention in Italy after being the only supporter to show up to watch his club play an away game in the top league
“But I went there thinking I’d find five or six other people,” the Udinese fan said.
“I went into the stadium while they [Udinese] were warming up. I shouted and said <<hi>> to the team.
“When I went in the local fans booed me, I felt a bit offended.
“But in the end they clapped and invited me for coffee and a meal, and the club managers gave me a shirt. They wished me a merry Christmas.”
Genoa is about four hours’ drive from Friuli, where Udinese are based.
But Arrigo Brovedani was in Genoa on business.
“I like the stadium there, it’s very similar to English stadiums,” he said.
“I always take my flag and scarf around – they’re always in the car with me.”
Luckily for Arrigo Brovedani, Udinese won the match 2-0 and the team dedicated their victory to their only fan. He has been invited to attend its next home match on Saturday.
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