Today, the Statue of Liberty is one ofthe most famous monuments in the United States, located in New York on Liberty Island. A gift from France to the Americans, the 93-metre-high statue has been a sign of friendship between the two countries since 1886. There are many smaller replicas around the world, including five in the capital, one of which is very well hidden! Can you find them all?
You're sure to have come across the best-known of these while strolling along the banks of the Seine! Produced at the same time as the original, the 11-metre-high figure sits quietly like the prow of a boat on the magnificent Ile aux Cygnes, with its back to the Eiffel Tower, facing New York, to echo its life-size version. For a smaller version, but in an equally prestigious location, head for the Jardin du Luxembourg, near the French Senate, where you'll find a bronze model measuring less than 3m, donated by Bartholdi to the Musée du Luxembourg.
But it's not the original, which dates back to 1906, and had to be moved in 2012 as a work of art in the nave of the Musée d'Orsay, due to damage and poor general condition, right in the heart of the park! Since then, a replica has taken its place. Another reproduction exists at the Musée des Arts et Métiers, a 1/16-scale plaster model. A second existed on the forecourt, but was sent to the Americans in 2021, for a period of 10 years!
Finally, the last one is particularly well hidden, and you need a good eye to see it, since it's on the torso of the Centaur, a sculpture on Place Michel Debré, and measures just a few centimetres! Good to know, a replica of the Flame of Liberty alone exists, near the Pont de l'Alma, but it doesn't serve the same function as it did originally!
Did you know? The Flame of Liberty on the Pont de l'Alma is not really dedicated to Lady Diana.
At the entrance to the Pont de l'Alma stands a beautiful golden flame, often associated with Lady Diana since her death in an accident. Although it is now an unofficial memorial, the Flame of Liberty is first and foremost a symbol of Franco-American friendship! [Read more]
Did you know? The Flame of Liberty on the Pont de l'Alma is not really dedicated to Lady Diana.
