Surely, if someone names New York, the first image that comes to mind is undoubtedly that of the Statue of Liberty, the city's biggest icon and symbol of the United States of America. Impossible to take a trip to New York and not book one of the days to get to know the Statue of Liberty, its island and its history.
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal sculpture, a gift from the French government to the United States government on the centenary of its Declaration of Independence.
The Statue of Liberty is located in New York, south of Manhattan Island, on Liberty Island (Bedloe Island until 1,956), which served as a military base. It housed Fort Wood, built of granite and whose eleven-pointed star-shaped foundations served as the basis for the construction of the statue's pedestal. Although several locations were shuffled, this island was eventually chosen as a site. Interestingly, years ago the sculptor of the Statue of Liberty himself, when he traveled to the United States to prepare the project, had planned the construction of the monument on that same island; fascinated by the country's promises of freedom, he imagined the European-oriented statue, thus welcoming immigrants and protecting the city at the same time, like the ancient colossus.
Of course, on your guided trip to New York, an excursion to the statue is planned. To visit the Statue of Liberty, we'll have to travel to Liberty Island, so we'll take the boat to Battery Park. Once there we can tour the island, we will do a tour with audio guides in Spanish. Once the tour is over we can take the ferry again to get to know ellis Island, since 1965 it has been part of the National Monument that makes up the Statue of Liberty and visit the Immigration Museum.
And since we're going to manage ferry tickets, audio tours and tickets, so you don't have to queue or worry about anything, all you have to do is enjoy the visit. To keep up, we tell you five very curious things you probably didn't know about the Statue of Liberty:
1. The Statue of Liberty was a lighthouse until 1,902.
2. Now it is greenish, but it was reddish, since the patina that covers it is copper.
3. It has survived the impact of several rays and a hurricane.
4. Several terrorist attacks have survived.
5.Announced the end of World War II with the lights of its crown via morse code.
The Statue of Liberty, originally Liberty Illuminating the World,was a gift from the French government to the U.S. government to commemorate the centenary of the declaration of Independence of the United States, although this gift came a decade after the centenary, due, for the most part, to the financial problems that were given on both sides of the Atlantic. Despite being a gift, the costs of the location and base were borne by the United States. To cover the cost of the statue, once it acquired the place where it was to be installed, art exhibitions, auctions and boxing matches were organized, also resorting to popular patronage (yes, yes, a crowdfunding in full rule). The occurrence was of Joseph Pulitzer, who published in the newspaper "The World" and within a few months managed, in addition to donations, several subscriptions to the newspaper.
France was responsible for the construction of the statue, as well as its packaging. The sculptural part of the Statue of Liberty was carried out by Fréderic Auguste Bartholdi who hired engineer Gustave Eiffel to design the internal structure, as well as create a tower to support the statue and design the secondary skeleton, which would allow the copper "skin" to remain upright.
The first stone of the pedestal was laid in August 1,884, while the base was built between 1,883 and 1,886. When the last stone of the monument was laid, the masons took several coins from their pockets and threw it into the mortar. They also left cards, medals and newspapers in a small bronze chest they deposited on the plinth.
At the heart of the block that makes up the base, two sets of beams join it directly with the internal structure designed by Eiffel, so that the statue forms a whole with its pedestal.
Once the statue was ready and the base, in January 1,885, the statue was dismantled and began its journey. The statue was dismantled in 350 pieces, spread over 214 boxes. The nuts, rivets and bolts needed for assembly were in 36 other boxes. He arrived in New York on 17 June 1886 aboard the French frigate Isere and it took another four months for his assembly.
Finally, the Statue of Liberty was inaugurated in October 1,886, in front of 600 guests and thousands of spectators. In the two weeks following its opening nearly 20,000 people had come to admire it, the frequentation of the site went from 88,000 visitors a year to the 3.5 million people who visit it today.
Throughout her life, Miss Liberty has undergone several repairs and remodels, in the 1980s she was closed to the public to fix various damages, both in the structure and on the deck or "skin". During these restoration works replaced the torch he was carrying, corroded by rust, with the current 24-carat gold torch. It was reopened to the public in July 1,986 on the occasion of its centenary. Another of the most important renovations they have carried out in recent years has been the adaptation of their facilities for people with reduced mobility.
Because it's part of our popular imaginary and because our bilingual magazine wouldn't let you make your trip to New York without visiting it.
The Statue of Liberty, in addition to being an icon of New York City, is a pop icon: it appears in books and advertising, has inspired artists like Andy Warhol, and has appeared in a large number of films: The Immigrant, Ghostbusters II, Sabotage, Splash... but without a doubt, his most striking role was in Planet of the Apes. She has also guest-starred in The Simpsons, CSI and Fringe, where the Statue of Liberty is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense in a parallel universe.
Beyond film, the Statue of Liberty is on the license plates of New York State and New Jersey, it is the logo of the New York Rangers and the New York Liberty, it has even been moved to the world of video games!
The Statue of Liberty is more than a symbol; has been a World Heritage Site since 1,984.
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