Statue of Liberty, New York, United States

The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island. The copper statue, a gift from the people of France to the people of the United States, was designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and its metal framework was built by Gustave Eiffel. The statue was dedicated on October 28, 1886.

The statue is a figure of Libertas, a robed Roman liberty goddess. She holds a torch above her head with her right hand, and in her left hand carries a tabula ansata inscribed JULY IV MDCCLXXVI (July 4, 1776 in Roman numerals), the date of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. A broken shackle and chain lie at her feet as she walks forward, commemorating the recent national abolition of slavery. After its dedication, the statue became an icon of freedom and of the United States, seen as a symbol of welcome to immigrants arriving by sea.

Bartholdi was inspired by a French law professor and politician, Édouard René de Laboulaye, who is said to have commented in 1865 that any monument raised to U.S. independence would properly be a joint project of the French and U.S. peoples. The Franco-Prussian War delayed progress until 1875, when Laboulaye proposed that the French finance the statue and the U.S. provide the site and build the pedestal. Bartholdi completed the head and the torch-bearing arm before the statue was fully designed, and these pieces were exhibited for publicity at international expositions.

The torch-bearing arm was displayed at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876, and in Madison Square Park in Manhattan from 1876 to 1882. Fundraising proved difficult, especially for the Americans, and by 1885 work on the pedestal was threatened by lack of funds. Publisher Joseph Pulitzer, of the New York World, started a drive for donations to finish the project and attracted more than 120,000 contributors, most of whom gave less than a dollar. The statue was built in France, shipped overseas in crates, and assembled on the completed pedestal on what was then called Bedloe's Island. The statue's completion was marked by New York's first ticker-tape parade and a dedication ceremony presided over by President Grover Cleveland.

The statue was administered by the United States Lighthouse Board until 1901 and then by the Department of War; since 1933 it has been maintained by the National Park Service as part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument, and is a major tourist attraction. Public access to the balcony around the torch has been barred since 1916.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Michael Myles (2 years ago)
The Ferry from the state park in Jersey City is excellent. The Statue of Liberty island is well maintained, safe and fun for all ages. My daughter loved our trip. Make sure you do the junior park ranger program with your children. It is fun and engaging. The statue itself is truly awe inspiring.

J Padma Parvathy (2 years ago)
The Statue of Liberty one of the most popular place for the tourist who visited in New York. I think it is the first choice for most of the tourist as like me. I have visited the Statue of the Liberty in November 2019. The Statue of Liberty is a universal symbol of freedom; it is situated in a small island in the Upper Bay (also called Upper New York Bay). The Statue of Liberty was devoted in October 1886 and designated as a National Monument in 1924. It was a joint effort between France and United States, intended to remember the friendship between the peoples of the two nations. It represents a woman face holding a torch in her raised right hand and tablet in her left hand; it is a 93 meters high monument including the pedestal.

Ted Gautsch (2 years ago)
Although I have looked at Lady Liberty from a distance many times, I Finally I decided to hop on a ferry and spend some time at looking at lady liberty close up. You can purchase tickets online and obviously they have different tour levels, purchasing online will save you a lot of time and purchasing the reserve ticket will also get you in the priority boarding queue. I purchased them right from my phone once I saw the line to purchase tickets. The line waiting for an empty ferry is actually quite long on a daily basis, they do have more than one ferry transporting back and forth which makes the line move a little faster. There is only so much room on the ferry and on a hot day, the wait can be miserable in the sun so be sure to squeeze into the crowd when boarding the boat to ensure you're part of the cut off, having to wait for the next ferry. The ferry ride is relaxing and on a hot day can help to cool you off. Looking at lady upon approach to the island liberty closeup is something quite spectacular and considering the difficulty they faced in getting the foundation of the statute initially built, its even more amazing closeup. The tour will also take you to Ellis Island which is well worth the time and extremely informational. The old hospital on the island is also really cool to see and they do have a tour which would allow you to see parts of the old hospital which I at some point will have to do. I thoroughly enjoy spending time on Ellis island not just for the history lesson and opportunity to get a close up of the awesome architecture but also just sit back and look across the water at the magnificent skyline. This is a good relaxing way to spend the afternoon. Cheers!

Krishna Sudarshan (3 years ago)
Historically significant place. Security is high but understandably so. Well maintained. I've visiting the place for the last 3 decades and I have to say the place gets better all the time. While the visitor load has dropped dramatically these days, I'm sure the glory days will be back soon. I would suggest taking the ferry from the New Jersey side instead of from New York. The lines are shorter and, in my humble opinion, the views are better. But please do visit, given the rich history associated with the Statue of Liberty.

SD SoCal (3 years ago)
The place to go in NY! When I got to see Miss Liberty, I didn’t want to leave Liberty Island anymore, it’s a great place to be. From the island there’s a beautiful view over the skyline of Manhattan, which delivers great opportunities for taking breathtaking pictures of the city. Besides you are greeted by the world’s most majestic statue, which will leave impressed, by it‘s sheer height. Love it there and can’t wait to see Miss Liberty another time. Don‘t miss out!

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

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Château de Foix

The Château de Foix dominates the town of Foix. An important tourist site, it is known as a centre of the Cathars. Built on an older 7th-century fortification, the castle is known from 987. In 1002, it was mentioned in the will of Roger I, Count of Carcassonne, who bequeathed the fortress to his youngest child, Bernard. In effect, the family ruling over the region were installed here which allowed them to control access to the upper Ariège valley and to keep surveillance from this strategic point over the lower land, protected behind impregnable walls.

In 1034, the castle became capital of the County of Foix and played a decisive role in medieval military history. During the two following centuries, the castle was home to Counts with shining personalities who became the soul of the Occitan resistance during the crusade against the Albigensians. The county became a privileged refuge for persecuted Cathars.

The castle, often besieged (notably by Simon de Montfort in 1211 and 1212), resisted assault and was only taken once, in 1486, thanks to treachery during the war between two branches of the Foix family.

From the 14th century, the Counts of Foix spent less and less time in the uncomfortable castle, preferring the Governors' Palace. From 1479, the Counts of Foix became Kings of Navarre and the last of them, made Henri IV of France, annexed his Pyrrenean lands to France.

As seat of the Governor of the Foix region from the 15th century, the castle continued to ensure the defence of the area, notably during the Wars of Religion. Alone of all the castles in the region, it was exempted from the destruction orders of Richelieu (1632-1638).

Until the Revolution, the fortress remained a garrison. Its life was brightened with grand receptions for its governors, including the Count of Tréville, captain of musketeers under Louis XIII and Marshal Philippe Henri de Ségur, one of Louis XVI's ministers. The Round Tower, built in the 15th century, is the most recent, the two square towers having been built before the 11th century. They served as a political and civil prison for four centuries until 1862.

Since 1930, the castle has housed the collections of the Ariège départemental museum. Sections on prehistory, Gallo-Roman and mediaeval archaeology tell the history of Ariège from ancient times. Currently, the museum is rearranging exhibits to concentrate on the history of the castle site so as to recreate the life of Foix at the time of the Counts.

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