The Flame of Liberty in Paris: what it really is, and how to reach it from the 7th

What it is

It is an exact copy of the flame held by the Statue of Liberty at the entrance to New York Harbor. The monument stands 3.5 meters tall: a gilded copper flame set on a grey and black marble pedestal. It is located on Place Diana, in the 16th arrondissement, above the western entrance to the Pont de l'Alma tunnel.

Where it comes from

It is a tribute to French craftsmanship. In 1986, for the centennial of the Statue of Liberty, the restoration of the torch was entrusted to two French artisan companies: Les Métalliers Champenois for the copper work, and the Gohard workshops for the gilding. The idea of offering a replica to France came later, and the International Herald Tribune, celebrating its own centennial in 1987, co-sponsored the project with a $400,000 fundraising appeal. The flame was fabricated in Paterson, New Jersey, unveiled on September 10, 1987, then inaugurated in Paris on May 10, 1989.

The plaque on the pedestal says it in one sentence: "Exact replica of the flame of the Statue of Liberty offered to the French people by donors from around the world as a symbol of Franco-American friendship." Take the time to read it; it is the best answer to the question we are asked most often.

And Diana?

The flame was not built for her. Diana Spencer died on August 31, 1997, in the tunnel directly below, eight years after the inauguration. From the morning the news broke, anonymous mourners covered the pedestal with flowers, and the monument became a de facto place of remembrance: messages, photos, bouquets. Many visitors still believe it is an official memorial. It is not, but the square now bears her name.

How to get there from our hotel

You walk there, crossing the Pont de l'Alma from the Left Bank: the flame is at the northern end of the bridge, on the Right Bank side. It is a stop of a few minutes, not a visit, and we recommend it more as a waypoint: while you are there, also look at the Zouave, under the bridge, which has served as a gauge for Seine floods for generations. And if Franco-American history amuses you, the neighborhood's other New York wink is the Statue of Liberty on the Île aux Cygnes, downstream, which we describe on a separate page.

Our advice

Go during the day to read the plaque, or at dusk if you want to see the gilding catch the light of the streetlamps. Allow ten minutes on site, no more: the monument is small, and traffic around the square is heavy. The main interest is understanding what you are looking at.