Flame of Liberty is a monument in Paris located at Place Diana, overlooking the west entrance of the tunnel of the Pont de l'Alma. The sculpture is a full-scale reproduction of the torch held by the Statue of Liberty at the port of New York. It consists of a golden copper flame sculpture resting on a gray and black marble base, and its height is not specified in the available facts.
The monument was realized in Paterson, New Jersey, through Métalliers Champenois, as part of a project linked to the restoration of the Statue of Liberty in 1986. The idea of making an exact replica of the flame for France was conceived by Kevin McCarthy, lawyer for Métalliers Champenois. The project was supported by Origine, which co-sponsored the centenary celebration in 1987, published a full-page appeal to raise funds, and selected Place de l'Alma as the location. A commemorative plaque was placed on the base, and Mayor Jacques Chirac supported its inauguration.
After the death of Lady Diana in the Alma tunnel below, the monument became associated with informal remembrance and continued to receive flowers, messages, and other tributes.
Nearby Objects
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Place Diana 10 m away -
Le Zouave 90 m away -
Crazy Horse 200 m away -
Paris sewers 200 m away -
Paris Sewer Museum 200 m away
Design and Location
The Flame of Liberty is a monument in Paris located at Place Diana, overlooking the west entrance of the tunnel of the Pont de l Alma. It is a full-scale reproduction of the torch held by the Statue of Liberty at the port of New York. The monument is made of a golden copper flame sculpture set on a gray and black marble base. Its height is not specified in the available facts.
Creation and Installation of the Flame of Liberty
Origine was involved in the 1986 restoration of the Statue of Liberty, working with Metalliers Champenois and ateliers Gohard. Its participation included the replacement of the torch with a solid gilded torch illuminated externally. During this period, Kevin McCarthy, lawyer for Metalliers Champenois, conceived the idea of making an exact replica of the flame for France. Origine agreed to co-sponsor the project for the centenary in 1987 and published a full-page appeal to raise the funds needed.
The Flame of Liberty was realized by Origine in Paterson, New Jersey, through Metalliers Champenois. It was unveiled on an unspecified date and then sent to France by Air France. Origine selected Place de l'Alma as its location and received support from Mayor Jacques Chirac for the inauguration. A commemorative plaque was placed on the base of the monument.
Public Memory at the Flame of Liberty
After Lady Diana died in a car accident in the tunnel of the Alma Bridge, under the Flame of Liberty monument, the site quickly became linked to her memory. On the morning after the death announcement, the monument was covered with flowers by anonymous people. It then attracted admirers and tourists who left wreaths, messages, photographs, and magazines related to the accident. Graffiti also appeared on the nearby guardrail, and souvenir photographs were taken at the site. Over time, the Flame of Liberty was used as an impromptu altar, and its association with memory was strengthened by its connection with Elton Johns commemorative song Candle in the Wind.
Because of this public response, some visitors mistakenly believed that the monument had originally been built as a memorial for the princess. The Paris tourism office website presents it as a popular memorial site, and it continues to be visited today. Memory messages are regularly removed and cleaned from the monument. The site has also been described as a social palimpsest because its original function has been diverted, and it has been cited as an example of the counter-monument concept and as one of the fictive tombs where the public gathers like at graves. In contrast, the official death memorial for Lady Diana is the Clos des Blancs-Manteaux public garden in the Marais district, which serves as a gardening and ecological education site for children.
Naming and Renaming of the Site
The Paris Council issued a municipal decree naming the location of the Flame of Liberty as Place Maria-Callas. The inauguration of Place Maria-Callas was scheduled to mark the twentieth anniversary of singer Maria Callas' death, but the ceremony was canceled under Mayor Jean Tiberi's leadership because of the fatal accident of Lady Diana and the public fervor around the flame. A later proposal to rename the place after Lady Diana was abandoned because of opposition from the English court. No street plaque marks the name Place Maria-Callas at the site. The name Maria Callas was instead given three years later to the Maria-Callas alley. The project to rename the place in honor of Lady Diana was revived and approved by the Paris Council in early 2023.
Nouvelle flamme
Nouvelle flamme is a sculpture by Jean Cardot located in the gardens of the United States Embassy in France. It symbolizes Franco-American friendship and was created through a joint initiative of French businessman Marc Ladreit de Lacharriere and American ambassador Craig Roberts Stapleton. The work includes two quotations, one from Frenchman Lafayette and one from American Benjamin Franklin, reinforcing its commemorative purpose. It was made using the lost-wax casting process by the Coubertin Foundation art foundry. Nouvelle flamme was inaugurated in the presence of French President Nicolas Sarkozy and U.S. President George W. Bush, marking its public presentation as an object of diplomatic and cultural significance.
Cadenas d'amour on the Chain
Cadenas d'amour are installed on the chain surrounding the sculpture. In early 2016, cadenas d'amour were present around the Flamme de la Liberte. These additions form part of the sculpture's immediate setting and are noted in relation to the chain that encloses it.