They were created especially for the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games: ten golden statues representing women who have marked the history of France. Since then, they have been permanently installed outdoors at Porte de la Chapelle and are on display to the public free of charge . But who are these ten influential and inspiring women? And why should you (re)discover them during a stroll this Sunday, March 8, on International Women’s Day?
From the painting “Sorority” presented at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games to the Porte de la Chapelle
It is one of the striking images from the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games on July 26, 2024. At the foot of the Alexandre III bridge, with the Marseillaise floating in the air, the golden statues of ten illustrious women emerged from the Seine. A beautiful tableau designed by Thomas Jolly, called “Sorority,” echoing the feminist struggle.
Last July, one year after the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, decided to permanently install these ten statues of pioneering women in a public space, specifically at Porte de la Chapelle. Until then, only around forty statues of women had been erected in Paris, including George Sand, Dalida, Édith Piaf, and the Comtesse de Ségur…
The golden statues of Simone Veil, Simone de Beauvoir, and Olympe de Gouges erected in public spaces
Measuring nearly four meters high, these sculptures made of hardened polymer resin are in the likeness of women well known to the general public. Examples include statues of philosopher and writer Simone de Beauvoir, politician Simone Veil, and writer and revolutionary figure Olympe de Gouges. But who are the other illustrious and combative women whose journeys have changed the course of history as much as they have inspired it?
Who are Jeanne Barret, Christine de Pizan, and Alice Guy?
Along Rue de la Chapelle, you will find top athlete Alice Milliat, lawyer, activist, and politician Gisèle Halimi, and intellectual, journalist, and writer Paulette Nardal. As you stroll along this free trail, you can also see statues of explorer and botanist Jeanne Barret, teacher and writer Louise Michel, director and screenwriter Alice Guy, and woman of letters Christine de Pizan.
March 8: a free walk to admire these 10 statues of feminist women
There are ten of them. Women of letters, politicians, athletes, activists… Each of these ten women has, in her own way, changed the course of history. Women who dared to break the rules and dictates and who fought fervently for our rights. In short, they are true fighters who paved the way and made their voices heard . And even today, they remain an infinite source of inspiration…
On March 8, International Women’s Rights Day, what better opportunity to (re)discover these ten statues of women and learn more about their history?
📍 To be seen on Rue de la Chapelle in the 18th arrondissement of Paris
🎫 Free