Vierge du Mas Rillier, Colossal religious statue in Mas Rillier, France.
The Vierge du Mas Rillier is a 32.6-metre reinforced-concrete statue of the Virgin and Child, the tallest religious statue in France, standing on the Esplanade de la Madone in Miribel. Its sculpted hands, serpent and faces were made in Georges Serraz's Paris workshop and brought to the site, while the rest was cast in place. A 152-step staircase inside leads to a small balcony above the Virgin's crown, but the interior and balcony are closed to the general public except for special events.
The monument was completed in 1941 by architect Louis Mortamet and artist Georges Serraz during World War II. It replaced the former Château de Miribel that previously occupied this site.
The statue's iconography follows the Immaculate Conception and the Litany of the Virgin: Mary crushes the serpent under her heel, holds out her son's heart, and the child points to his Sacred Heart. Bas-relief medallions of the litanies line the border of her mantle. Each July the esplanade hosts the jazz festival Swing sous les étoiles.
The statue stands on the Esplanade de la Madone, above the Mas Rillier carillon in Miribel. The interior and the balcony above the crown, reached by a 152-step stair, are closed to the general public except for special events. The site is closed for redevelopment in 2025-2026.
The statue's interior and the balcony above the Marian crown, reached by a 152-step staircase, are closed to the general public except for special events. The concrete was poured between wooden planks whose negative traces remain visible, while the hands, serpent and faces were sculpted in Serraz's Paris workshop and brought to the site.
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