Havis Amanda

Helsinki, Finland

Havis Amanda is a nude female statue sculpted by Ville Vallgren (1855-1940). He made it 1906 in Paris, but was not erected at its present location at the Market Square in Kaartinkaupunki until 1908. Havis Amanda is one of Vallgren's Parisian Art Nouveau works. She is a mermaid who stands on seaweed as she rises from the water, with four fish spouting water at her feet and surrounded by four sea lions. She is depicted leaning backwards as if to say goodbye to her element. Vallgren's intention was to symbolize the rebirth of Helsinki. The height of the statue is 194 centimetres and with the pedestal it stands 5 metres tall. According to Vallgren's letters the model for the statue was a then 19-year-old Parisian lady, Marcelle Delquini.

Havis Amanda is the most popular statue in Helsinki. Every year on 30th of April it serves as a centrepiece for the celebrations. Students of the local universities put a cap on the statue on an elaborate ceremony.

Comments

Your name


Address

Unioninkatu, Helsinki, Finland
See all sites in Helsinki

Details

Founded: 1906 (erected 1908)
Category: Statues in Finland
Historical period: Russian Grand Duchy (Finland)

More Information

en.wikipedia.org
www.helsinki-hotels.com

Rating

4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Senate Square (0,2 km)
Helsinki Cathedral (0,3 km)
Presidential Palace (0,3 km)
Ateneum Art Museum (0,5 km)
Uspenski Cathedral (0,5 km)
Hakasalmi Villa (1,2 km)
The National Museum of Finland (1,4 km)
Parliament House (1,1 km)
Olympic Stadium (2,5 km)


Hvitträsk (23,8 km)
Espoo Manor (20,7 km)
Espoo Cathedral (17,2 km)
The Church of St. Lawrence (13 km)
Alberga Manor (9,2 km)
Tuomarinkylä Manor Museum (9,8 km)
The Church of St. Sigfrid (28,1 km)
Kellokoski Ironworks (41,3 km)
Tuusula Church (27,6 km)

User Reviews

AD_X (3 years ago)
Good to see.if visiting
Jan Herranen (3 years ago)
A must see attraction. The lady that rose from the sea
Pangfua Her (3 years ago)
Visited Helsinki in December and they have the Christmas market set up here during the holiday season. It's lovely!
Lisanne Welch (3 years ago)
Really pretty statue, controversial in it's day, look up the wiki. Out in the middle of a town square, easy to get to and a park on one side with a harbor on the other. Definitely recommend.
Gaijin (3 years ago)
One of Vallgren's Parisian Art Nouveau works. It is cast in bronze and sited in a fountain of granite. Havis Amanda is a mermaid who stands on seaweed as she rises from the ocean, with four fish spouting water at her feet and surrounded by four sea lions. Legend has it that a man splashing his face with water from the fountain and shouting three times 'Rakastaa!' (Finnish for 'Love!') increases the man's virility.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Rhodes, The Island of Knights
Photo from Flickr, copyright Multimaniaco

Historic Site of the week

Royal Palace of Olite

The Palace of the Kings of Navarre of Olite was one of the seats of the Court of the Kingdom of Navarre, since the reign of Charles III 'the Noble' until its conquest by Castile (1512). The fortification is both castle and palace, although it was built more like a courtier building to fulfill a military function.

On an ancient Roman fortification was built during the reign of Sancho VII of Navarre (13th century) and extended by his successors Theobald I and Theobald II, which the latter was is installed in the palace in 1269 and there he signed the consent letter for the wedding of Blanche of Artois with his brother Henry I of Navarre, who in turn, Henry I since 1271 used the palace as a temporary residence. This ancient area is known as the Old Palace.

Then the palace was housing the Navarrese court from the 14th until 16th centuries, Since the annexation (integration) of the kingdom of Navarre for the Crown of Castile in 1512 began the decline of the castle and therefore its practically neglect and deterioration. At that time it was an official residence for the Viceroys of Navarre.

In 1813 Navarrese guerrilla fighter Espoz y Mina during the Napoleonic French Invasion burned the palace with the aim to French could not make forts in it, which almost brought in ruin. It is since 1937 when architects José and Javier Yarnoz Larrosa began the rehabilitation (except the non-damaged church) for the castle palace, giving it back its original appearance and see today. The restoration work was completed in 1967 and was paid by the Foral Government of Navarre.

Map Top Sights Tags Historical Periods City Guides About Us Sign Up Upload new site
© 2021 SpottingHistory.com. All rights reserved.