The statue represents the Virgin Mary crowned with stars, standing on a half terrestrial globe where she crushes a snake with her foot, and holding on her right arm the Child Jesus who blesses the city and France. It stays on a pedestal of 6.70 meters high and measures itself 16 meters for a circumference of 17. The feet of the Virgin are each of 1.92 m, her front arm is 3.75 m, her hand is 1.56 m and the circumference of the head of the Child Jesus is 4.80 m. Its total mass is estimated at 835 tonnes, including 680 tonnes for the pedestal, 110 tonnes for the statue - including 1.1 tonnes...

The statue represents the Virgin Mary crowned with stars, standing on a half terrestrial globe where she crushes a snake with her foot, and holding on her right arm the Child Jesus who blesses the city and France. It stays on a pedestal of 6.70 meters high and measures itself 16 meters for a circumference of 17. The feet of the Virgin are each of 1.92 m, her front arm is 3.75 m, her hand is 1.56 m and the circumference of the head of the Child Jesus is 4.80 m. Its total mass is estimated at 835 tonnes, including 680 tonnes for the pedestal, 110 tonnes for the statue - including 1.1 tonnes for the head of the Child Jesus and 600 kilos for his arm which blesses the city and 45 for a coating. Designed as a self-supporting structure, it is made up of around a hundred pieces of cast iron fixed together by large-caliber bolts. A stone staircase composed of 33 steps is arranged in the pedestal and gives access to the interior of the statue which is hollow and has a cast iron staircase of 58 steps which serves three floors, extended by a ladder of 16 bars which provides access to the virgin crown. Long time closed to the public for security reasons, access to the latter is again possible since January 2013, but the view is now made through a translucent dome put in place during the renovation work of 2012. At each level, four small openings offer a panorama of the town of Puy and its surroundings. From https://fr.wikipedia.org/

The statue of Notre-Dame de France was built between 1856 and 1860, from cannons captured during the siege of Sevastopol. It is located at an altitude of 757 meters, at the top of the "Corneille rock" - the remains of a basalt volcanic cone 132 meters high. A Jesuite Father Gustave-Xavier Lacroix de Ravignan (1795-1858) was the first, who had the idea of ​​erecting a statue of the Blessed Virgin at the top of the "Corneille rock". He spoke to Father Théodore Combalot (1797-1873) during a retreat at Le Puy, who, enthusiastic, immediately exposed the project to the priests of the diocese...

The statue of Notre-Dame de France was built between 1856 and 1860, from cannons captured during the siege of Sevastopol. It is located at an altitude of 757 meters, at the top of the "Corneille rock" - the remains of a basalt volcanic cone 132 meters high. A Jesuite Father Gustave-Xavier Lacroix de Ravignan (1795-1858) was the first, who had the idea of ​​erecting a statue of the Blessed Virgin at the top of the "Corneille rock". He spoke to Father Théodore Combalot (1797-1873) during a retreat at Le Puy, who, enthusiastic, immediately exposed the project to the priests of the diocese gathered in Notre-Dame-de-l'Annonciation cathedral on July 26, 1850. The local bishop Auguste de Morlhon welcomed the project with enthusiasm and, after various preparatory studies created on March 1853 a commission, responsible for preparing and monitoring the execution of the works. This "commission of the work of Notre-Dame de France" launched in the same month a European competition, endowed with three thousand francs, intended to choose the model of the statue and a subscription. The competition had an unexpected success, as artists from all over Europe sent their proposals. There were ultimately no less than 53 models that were presented and exhibited to the public for a week in the town hall of Puy. On November 8, 1853 , the jury chaired by Bishop de Morlhon votes by secret ballot for the model of Jean-Marie Bonnassieux. From then on, work can begin and, the December 10, 1854 , the first stone was laid. But, despite the success of the subscription - which will bring in a total of 325,000 francs - financial difficulties were felt, threatening the whole project. On September 5, 1855 Bishop de Morlhon went to Paris to plead this cause with the Emperor Napoleon III. In addition to obtaining from him a donation of 10,000 francs, the bishop convinced him to give the cannons, which will be captured during the siege of Sevastopol. Three days later the city fell. On March 30, 1856 the peace was signed and twenty days later the Emperor delivered - in accordance with his promise - 150,000 kilos of cast iron from the naval cannons of Sevastopol. On September 12, 1860 the statue was finally completed and solemnly blessed by Bishop de Morlhon. It was then the largest statue in the world at that time, before being dethroned in 1886 by the Statue of Liberty. From https://fr.wikipedia.org/