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France: Mont Saint Michel 's Archangel has flown away!

March 15, 2016

The four and a half meter tall statue at the famous Mont Saint Michel site has been airlifted to the French mainland by helicopter for restoration purposes.

https://p.dw.com/p/1IDVr
Mont Saint Michel Frankreich Kloster Engel
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/J.Le Gall

The Archangel statue has been removed from the top of the Mont Saint Michel abbey in northern France and flown away by helicopter. The four and a half meter tall statue has been airlifted to the French mainland. The operation had been postponed several times due to gale force winds. Now the statue is to be taken to Marsac-sur-l'Isle in south west France for a two month long facelift. And because the statue also serves as a lightning conductor for the site it has to be amended to meet with current stipulations. The statue was cast in the same foundry as the famous Statue of Liberty and has been at the top of the landmark in northern France, which is today one of the nation's top tourist attractions, since 1897. It has only been restored twice since then. The current work will cost 450,000 euros.

isi/pw (AFPD)