Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty is a bronze sculpture located in the Plaza Francia in the historic centre of Lima, Peru. It was made in 1926 according to the design of the French sculptor and cast by Eugène Soleau. It is a one-piece bronze sculpture about 2 metres high and represents a standing female figure, dressed in a light tunic and with a laurel wreath on her head. This is installed on a 4.30 m high pedestal. The sculpture and the Plaza Francia were declared a monumental urban environment in 1972. In 2018, La Libertad was declared Cultural Heritage of the Nation. History One of the most important events of the 20th century in Peru was the celebration held to commemorate the Centennial of the Independence of Peru, which took place in 1921 during the government of President Augusto B. Leguía. The various foreign colonies residing in Lima organized to make a gift to the city on the occasion of said celebration and, among them, the French colony residing in Lima organized a commission to give a sculpture to the city; this commission had thought of locating the sculpture in the Plaza Mayor of Lima. However, the commission failed to have the gift ready on time, which is why the French colony was the only one that did not give anything to Peru for said event. In 1925 the project of the sculpture of was resumed; For this, a new commission was created, headed by the French engineer Michel Fort, which was in charge of raising the money for the work. To choose the sculpture, an international competition was held in Rome in 1925. The winner was René Bertrand-Boutée, a French sculptor who was the author of many busts and bronze sculptures. The works of the installation of the statue and the base were done by Florentino Palma. White granite from Amancaes was used. In addition to the sculpture, a bronze plaque that read "Homage from the French colony to the Republic of Peru on the first centenary of its Independence" was cast and carved. The sculpture was accompanied by four 4.55 m bronze and iron ornamental chandeliers. The monument was placed in a square built at the expense of the government. The work was carried out by the important construction company "Foundation".