Nice has a new landmark; it has its very own Lady Liberty of Nice; its very own Statue of Liberty. But blink and you’ll miss it!
I’d heard that as part of the renovation and reorganisation of the seafront boulevard le quai des Etats-Unis there would be a Statue of Liberty so recently we set out to go and see it. The street had been closed for a couple of months while the pavement was widened and traffic reduced to one lane in each direction. This is a lovely improvement for visitors to Nice, for pedestrians, cyclists and rollerbladers, and certainly a step in the right direction for the “greening” of the city but I wouldn’t like to be trying to get across town at rush hour by car now.
But I digress – back to Lady Liberty. The statue, a replica of the original by Auguste Bartholdi and the last one to be held by the Coubertin foundry, was bought by the city of Nice in 2011 but kept a secret until recently. It was inaugurated last month to commemorate the centenary of the First World War in keeping with the history of the Quai des Etats Unis (USA Quay), which itself was renamed in 1917 to mark America’s entry into the war.
Surprisingly there are hundreds of copies of the statue throughout the world ranging from Paris, to Tokyo, Kosovo to Brazil but none are anywhere near as big as the original in New York. Officially called “Liberty enlightening the world” this iconic statue welcoming new arrivals to New York was a gift from the French people to the United States as a sign of friendship on the occasion of the hundredth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Fittingly for the world’s newest Lady Liberty the American people have long had a love affair with the French Riviera (read more about their influence and legacy here).
So what was that about “blink and you’ll miss it”? Nice’s Statue de Liberté is so tiny I actually giggled when I saw it. Luckily we were out on a mission to find it because otherwise I think we’d have walked right past. It measures 1.30m! It’s really very sweet. Located opposite the Opera House on a 2m high plinth, in the words of Chrisitan Estrosi, the Mayor of Nice, “we wanted it to be modest in order not to rival New York!”
Have you seen any of the Statues of Liberty?
Further Reading
From Russia (to Nice) With Love
7 Favourite Museums in Provence Côte d’Azur
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So funny that she is smaller than her plinth. I love the way that your photos make her look so tall and then you reveal her Lilliputian status! #citytripping
No worries about rivaling the original, though the first time I saw it in person I was surprised that it wasn’t even bigger. I guess seeing it in the movies made it even larger than life in my mind, not that it isn’t pretty darn big! I’ve now seen three versions of the Lady Liberty, but none were as small as the one in Nice. So fun! #citytripping
I’ve only seen the big one in New York and didn’t realise there were so many others! At least with this much smaller version you can see some of the detail! Thanks for reminding me of the history behind the statues and linking to #citytripping
Ha that is too funny! I didn’t realize there are so many copies around the world. Well, now I know the next time I’m in Nice to keep an eye out for it otherwise it sounds alike I may miss it! #citytripping
There”s also one in Colmar as the sculpture who made it came from there! This one is so tiny and adorable! #CityTripping
I find it rather fascinating how many copies of the Liberty statue are all around the world. I wasn’t aware one of them is in Nice. I’ve only saw the one in Tokyo and would love to see the most famous one in New York. #CityTripping
I googled this today as I accidentally spotted her when we walked the promenade today. When we walked towards town i didn’t see her, just a fluke I saw her on the way back!
The one in NY is not the original; definitely is the biggest but Lady Liberty was created in its much small likeness. The original is located in Luxembourg Gardens. I learned this after living in Paris for severs years. I saw the one in Nice and the much larger version (bigger than Luxembourg Gardens version) near what’s now the “Beaugrenelle” area of Paris.
Love the post. Brought back memories!
We have just seen the statue of David in Nice. What next Nelson on his column?
my pleasure!
😀
Thanks for stopping by Samantha.
I’m pleased with the picture too, but I agree the original is truly moving.
Thank you for sharing this! I can’t believe how small the statue was when you said- your pictures did a great job of making it appear much bigger, so I didn’t have to worry about blinking when I was looking at your pics! Swinging over from the SITS spring fling, & looking forward to connecting with another expat!
I havent seen this one yet but have heard of it. So I really enjoyed getting to see yoru phtoographs. Thank you for sharing and for linking up for Travel Tuesday! x
perfect spring photo!
Now you’ve got the heads up you should spot her, otherwise you’re likely to have walked straight past!
I’m happy my first photo got you! 😉
Isn’t she just!
How lovely! 🙂
Wow how cute ~ it is so small! 😀 We will have to put this on our list of things to look for when we go ~ very cool thank you for sharing! 🙂
Ha – that’s not what I was expecting from the impressive first picture! It really is kind of adorable.
Isn’t she cute!! 😀 I think it’s an appropriate place to have their own Lady Liberty.
Wherever we see her, she is a warm welcome for us Americans!
And thanks for coming back to me!
Wow, that really is small!!
That’s great Neal. Don’t forget we run a gîte too (though we are fully booked from end of April to end of September!) You could also check out my Facebook page for ideas. https://www.facebook.com/loumessugo
It’s amazing how many there are!
Thanks Mags, that was the idea, I’m glad it worked.
I love how that first picture is so deceiving. It’s so great t see Lady Liberty showing up in more places around the world. But, the real one still takes my breath away every time I see her.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting on my Partnach Gorge post! Have a great day!
Oh well, it’s much bigger than the copy in Gothenburg here in Sweden – it’s only 20 cm!!! 😉
I think we’ve decided to drive the southern French coast this summer–I will definitely be spending time on your blog when I get to planning our trip.
I didn’t know about the statue of liberty of Nice. Thanks for teaching me something today 🙂
clever photos making it look so big! 🙂