In the presence of Michel Bentot, Mayor of Barentin, Patrick Herr, Founding President of the Armada of Liberty, will inaugurate the exceptional arrival of the replica of the Statue of Liberty on the quays of Rouen. The inauguration will be held on Thursday June 6 at 11 a.m., the official opening day of Armada 2019, at Musoir, quai Richard Waddington, right bank in Rouen.
On the occasion of 30e anniversary of the Liberty Armada
The Statue of Liberty also takes off. Patrick Herr wanted to bring her from Barentin, from the roundabout in the commercial area, to take her place at the pier on the quays of the Armada. A tribute is thus paid to the first “Freedom Race” that the President organized in Rouen and which subsequently gave rise to the first edition of the Armada in 1989.
The statue that proudly sits in Barentin is a perfect reconstruction of the Statue of Liberty in New York, made of polyester. It measures 13,5 m high and weighs 3 kg. This line was used for the famous film “Le Cerveau” by Gérard Oury in 500. It is thanks to the combined action of the famous actor Paul Belmondo, from André Marie, mayor of Barentine at the time, and from the director Gerard Oury, that this statue was installed on 21 August 1969 in Barentin.
Consolidation work have been carried out in recent days to allow the Statue to travel to the docks. It will be moved on the night of Sunday June 2 to Monday June 3, around 5:30 a.m., accompanied by a motorcycle escort, in reference to the famous film “The Brain”.
At the foot of the statue, the Department of Seine-Maritime offers an exhibition. Produced by Nathalie Salmon, author of the book “Lady Liberty, I love you”, it traces the history of the Statue of Liberty and its link with Seine-Maritime “From the Seine to New York”. Upon its arrival on Friday June 7, the Hermione will pay an official tribute to the Statue of Liberty. Guest of honor of the Armada, the famous frigate will recall the commitment of the Marquis de la Fayette and the French armies, for the independence of America.
A little bit of history. At the beginning of the 1980s, Jean Lecanuet, Mayor of Rouen, was looking for an idea to liven up and revive the quays. His deputy, Patrick Herr, suggested a race between Rouen and New York to celebrate the centenary of the Statue of Liberty in 1986. Remember that on June 17, 1885, the Statue arrived in New York aboard the Frigate l'Isère, the end of a trip that left Rouen, one day in May 1885. The statue had been imagined by the sculptor Bartholdi, built and offered by France. It was unveiled in broad daylight on October 28, 1886.
Photo 2019 @bruno Hamelet – Armada de la Liberté 2019
