ART AND CULTURE.

Behind the creation of the Statue of Liberty: the Italian secret that few know

The Statue of Liberty is one of the most iconic symbols of the United States, but few people know that its creator, the French sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, was inspired by an Italian monument to create his work.

It is a monumental statue located on Lake Maggiore, in Italy. Bartholdi became fascinated by this statue during a trip to Italy in 1871 and was inspired by its majesty and beauty to create the Statue of Liberty.

In this photo gallery, we invite you to discover the connection between this statue and the Statue of Liberty through a series of breathtaking images showing the beauty of both works of art and their historical and cultural importance. You will discover the Italian secret behind the creation of one of the most iconic works of art in the world.

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Behind the creation of the Statue of Liberty: the Italian secret that few know
The Statue of Liberty is one of the most iconic symbols of the United States, but few know that its creator, French sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, was inspired by an Italian monument to create his work. It is a monumental statue located on Lake Maggiore in Italy. Bartholdi was fascinated by this statue during a trip to Italy in 1871 and was inspired by its majesty and beauty to create the Statue of Liberty. In this photo gallery, we invite you to discover the connection between this statue and the Statue of Liberty through a series of breathtaking images showing the beauty of both works of art and their historical and cultural importance. Discover the Italian secret behind the creation of one of the most iconic works of art in the world.
Di Aanto - Opera propria, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=97156955
Where does the inspiration come from
The Statue of Liberty was inspired by two enormous monumental statues: the Colossus of Rhodes (of which there are no photos, only testimonies) and the Colossus of St Charles Borromeo, already present in Arona, which we see in the photo.
By Gianni Careddu - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61848832
The origins of the Sancarlone
The Sancarlone is located in Arona, on the Sacro Monte near Lake Maggiore, and is dedicated to Saint Charles Borromeo, the archbishop of Milan who lived during the Renaissance. The colossus of St Charles Borromeo is about 23.5 metres high and was erected between 1624 and 1698 to a design by Giovanni Battista Crespi.
By No machine-readable author provided. Civvi~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims). - No
The connection with the Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty was made by the better known Gustave Eiffel, but it was Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi who designed it. Thus, when in 1869 Bartholdi was intent on designing the Statue of Liberty, the French sculptor and patriot went to Arona to study the internal structure of Sancarlone, which up to that time was the tallest monument in the world among the statues that could be visited inside. Its primacy fell in 1886 when the Statue of Liberty was erected.
Di Alessandro Vecchi - Opera propria, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=
Plaque
In addition, a plaque dedicated to the Sancarlone was placed at the foot of the Statue of Liberty, explaining how the iconic New York statue was built on the model of the Italian colossus.
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