by Pio Fedi in the 1800s.
When most people think of the Statue of Liberty, their mind goes straight to New York Harbor—a colossal symbol of freedom, raised in 1886 to welcome immigrants from around the world. But hidden in Florence, inside the Basilica of Santa Croce, stands a marble figure that looks strikingly familiar. Few travelers notice her, yet she may have been the quiet inspiration for Lady Liberty herself.
The Statue of Liberty in New York
The Statue of Liberty—officially Liberty Enlightening the World—was a gift from France to the United States. Designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and built with the help of engineer Gustave Eiffel, it was dedicated on October 28, 1886.
She represents Libertas, the Roman goddess of liberty. In her right hand, she holds a torch; in her left, a tablet marked with July 4, 1776, the date of American independence. At her feet lies a broken chain, symbolizing the end of slavery after the Civil War.
The idea first appeared in 1865, when French historian Édouard de Laboulaye suggested a monument to celebrate the U.S. centennial of independence. Bartholdi began work years later, finishing the statue’s head and torch first to raise support at international expositions, before finally completing the full statue in France in 1884.
Two years later, she was assembled on what is now Liberty Island—and became one of the most famous symbols in the world.
Florence’s “Liberty of Poetry”
Two decades earlier, in Florence, sculptor Pio Fedi unveiled Libertà della Poesia (Liberty of Poetry) in 1866. This marble monument stands inside Santa Croce, the same church where giants like Michelangelo, Galileo, and Machiavelli are buried.
The figure is a woman with a solemn face, crowned with rays, her arm raised in a gesture that feels eerily similar to the Statue of Liberty.
Most visitors walk right past her, focused on the famous tombs, never realizing that Florence has its own “Lady Liberty” standing in silence.
A Possible Inspiration
Here’s where the story gets interesting: Bartholdi, the French sculptor of the American statue, traveled in Italy during the very years Fedi’s Liberty of Poetry was attracting attention.
There’s no document proving a direct link. But when you place the two side by side, it’s hard not to wonder. Did Bartholdi see Fedi’s statue in Florence and carry the image back with him to France?
Art historians debate the connection, but the resemblance is undeniable.
Visiting Santa Croce
If you’re in Florence, visiting Santa Croce is already a must. This Gothic church is filled with masterpieces and holds the tombs of Italy’s greatest minds. But now you know there’s another reason to look closer.
Step inside, walk past the famous chapels and monuments, and find Pio Fedi’s Liberty of Poetry. She may not be as colossal as the New York statue, but she carries the same spirit—freedom, dignity, and the power of human expression.
Florence, the Eternal Inspiration
The Statue of Liberty is one of the most recognized monuments in the world. Yet in Florence, far from the harbor of New York, her “older sister” rests quietly in marble, unnoticed by most.
It’s a reminder of Florence’s role as a city of inspiration—where even the idea of liberty may have found a voice in stone, long before it rose as copper over the Atlantic.