The Torch of Friendship
The Torch of Friendship is a monument located on Biscayne Boulevard in downtown Miami, Florida, on the northwest corner of Bayfront Park. Built in 1960, it was created to commemorate brotherhood among the countries of the Americas. The gas-fueled flame was intended to serve as a welcoming beacon for new and longtime immigrants from Latin America and the Caribbean. In 1964, the monument was rededicated in memory of U.S. President John F. Kennedy.
July 2017 © Tommes · CC BY-SA 4.0
July 2017 © Tommes · CC BY-SA 4.0
July 2017 © Tommes · CC BY-SA 4.0
July 2017 © Tommes · CC BY-SA 4.0
July 2017 © Tommes · CC BY-SA 4.0
Identification | |
| Title | The Torch of Friendship |
| Spanish title | La Antorcha de la Amistad |
| Type | Monument |
Historical context | |
| Construction date | August 1960 |
| Dedicated | October 1960 |
| Rededicated | January 20, 1964, in memory of John F. Kennedy |
| Historical context at dedication | Miami was receiving tens of thousands of Cuban refugees fleeing the Cuban Revolution of 1959 |
| Later damage | It was knocked down on October 11, 1974, and seriously damaged by a bomb explosion in July 1975 |
Creator | |
| Suggested by | Melvin L. Reese, then city manager |
| Commissioned by | Miami City Commission |
Discovery and provenance | |
| Rebuilding responsibility | The Miami city government announced it would head the rebuilding on October 30, 1974 |
| Rebuilding offer | By October 24, 1974, the men involved had offered to fundraise and oversee rebuilding |
| Repair cost | $4,000 |
| Repairs completed | By July 1975 |
| Repair status after bombing | Repairs had begun but were not complete by September 1975 |
Physical characteristics | |
| Missing plaque gap | There is a gap between Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic for Cuba |
| Flags | Flags of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, the United States, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela are displayed around the Simón Bolívar statue |
| Additional statues | Statues of Juan Ponce de León on the north side and Simón Bolívar on the south side |
| Surrounding structure | A keystone patio or stone courtyard |
| Country plaques | 20 round plaques showing the coats of arms and names of Latin American and Caribbean countries, arranged alphabetically in English |
| Front plaque | A plaque with the Great Seal of the United States and a dedication inscription |
| Decorative wall | A curved or wrapping wall with the rededication inscription and the coats of arms and names of Latin American and Caribbean countries |
| Main form | A concrete pillar topped by a continuously burning gas-fed flame |
Materials | |
| Material | Concrete and stone |
Appearance | |
| Inscription | TORCH OF FRIENDSHIP |
| Dedication inscription | The city of Miami dedicates this monument to friendship between the United States and the countries of Latin America |
Iconography and meaning | |
| Purpose | A monument to Miami's perpetual friendship with Latin America and to the passage of immigrants from Latin America and the Caribbean |
| Intended meaning | A welcoming beacon for new and old immigrants to the nation |
| Associated public statement | Robert King High said the torch would emphasize friendship with Latin America's people and symbolize wealth and cordiality, and hoped it would have significance like the Statue of Liberty |
| Commemorated person | John F. Kennedy |
Location and ownership | |
| Location | Bayfront Park, on Biscayne Boulevard at the northwest corner, Downtown Miami, Florida, United States |
| Dedication | Dedicated to friendship between the United States and the countries of Latin America |
| Country context | United States |