Photo : W. Bulach / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Statue Notre-Dame de France
The Notre-Dame de France statue dominates the town of Le Puy-en-Velay from the Corneille rock, a volcanic basalt neck about 132 metres high, north of the town. It stands at 757 metres' altitude.
It is a cast-iron Virgin and Child, designed by the sculptor Jean-Marie Bonnassieux. It was made between 1856 and 1860 with the metal of 213 cannons captured from the Russians during the siege of Sevastopol in the Crimean War, and given by Napoleon III to the town. The statue is 16 metres high, 22.70 metres with its pedestal, and weighs 835 tonnes. The Bishop of Le Puy, Mgr Auguste de Morlhon, blessed it on 12 September 1860.
It is protected as a historic monument. From the rock, you discover the town's volcanic landscape, where other pinnacles rise above the roofs, including that of the Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe chapel and the cathedral. Visiting arrangements, notably access to the inside of the statue, vary with the period: it is advisable to ask the tourist office before going up.
