Gently does it: “La Grande Tempérance” is lowered into place on Wednesday morning. Maison Moderne

Gently does it: “La Grande Tempérance” is lowered into place on Wednesday morning. Maison Moderne

Some eight years after it was removed from its podium outside the now demolished Bierger Center, Niki de Saint Phalle’s Nana sculpture has returned to stand proudly at the Um Piquet square next to the former central post office building.

The sculpture was purchased by the Ville de Luxembourg after an open-air exhibition of several of the French sculptor’s trademark “nana” statues was hosted by the city in 1995 as it celebrated its first reign as European Capital of Culture.

The statue, which depicts a colourful naked woman in a skipping pose, did not meet everyone’s approval at the time. The city was criticised for buying the sculpture for 15 million francs (around €370,000), although BGL and the Post shared the cost. And the sculpture’s bare breasts were deemed inappropriate for those taking part in the religious Octave processions and the sculpture was covered up.

While safely away from the construction of the Royal Hamilius the statue, which stands 6 metres tall and weighs around 600 kilos, was restored by specialists in Duisburg, Germany.