Charioteer takes flight to make way for Minnesota Capitol repair

The renovation of the Minnesota Capitol offered a rare opportunity Tuesday to see the charioteer atop the golden Quadriga take flight, as it was gently lifted away by a crane to make way for repairs to the chariot.

The Quadriga has been a prominent fixture in front of the marble dome for more than 100 years. It has been refurbished at various points, but the charioteer figure is being removed so crews can fix corrosion at the base of the sculpture. While it's down, the charioteer figure will be regilded and examined for other repairs.

The work on the charioteer is expected to take about three months.

This gold-leafed copper and steel statuary group, "Progress of the State," was sculpted by Daniel Chester French and Edward Potter and placed on the Capitol in 1906. The four horses represent the power of nature: earth, wind, fire and water, according to the Minnesota Historical Society.

From 1994 to 1995 the group, also known as the Quadriga, was removed from the capitol building for complete restoration and gilding.

Minnesota's Capitol is several months into a $270 million renovation that will last until 2017.

The Associated Press contributed information to this report.