The Arch of freedom

To be in harmony with this place of meditation, this arch was designed as a window of light, an open door on the landscape, a new world. It is both solemn and welcoming as it represents George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette and their friendship. It demonstrates two persons out of the ordinary loving the same ideal:

Freedom

These two historical characters have always fought for the ideas they believed in, through texts and ideas, such as the drafting of the Constitution of the United States of America, the Declaration of Human Rights and the Citizen. Each piece of the Ark, left for G. Washington and right for Lafayette, is engraved with a manuscript calligraphy style:

Yorktown, Independence of the United States, Mount Vernon, Virginia, Freedom.

Adrienne, the Bill of Rights, “men are born free and equal…”, “Chavaniac is for me a temple which meets sacred objects in my heart”, Abolition of slavery, Hermione, La Victoire, New World, Freedom.

THE MONUMENT WAS UNVEILED ON the 6ᵗʰ SEPTEMBER of 2007, ON THE OCCASION OF THE 250ᵗʰ ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF MOTIER GILBERT DE LA FAYETTE BY:

Mr. Bernard KOUCHNER
French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs

His Excellency Mr. Craig Roberts STAPLETON
Ambassador of the United States of America in France

Mr. Gerard ROCHE
President of the General Council of Haute-Loire

Ms. Helena MANSOT
Mayor of Chavaniac-Lafayette

The ark is covered with ceramic tiles cooked at very high temperature and covered with enamel  blue Sevres. The tiles have a side telluric recalling the presence of volcanoes in our Region.

This sculpture is the work of Marc SIMON & Arlette, Ceramic Carvers.