The statue of a prominent 19th century French journalist is losing its bronze colour in some areas after scores women rub its crotch and kiss its lips for good luck.
The statue of Victor Noir, famous for a protuberance in its trousers, has been touched by thousands of women since being placed in the Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris in 1891.
In a bizarre ritual women kiss the lips, rub the crotch and place a flower in the hand of the statue believing it will improve their relationships and boost fertility.
The well-endowed memorial was sculpted by French artist Jules Dalou and put in the French capital's largest ceremony.
A fence was built around the statue in 2004 after authorities grew concerned that it was losing its finesse.
However after protests the railings were brought down shortly after meaning people were free again to walk up to and touch the monument.
Noir, whose real name was Yvan Salman, was killed by Pierre Bonaparte, a great-nephew of the Emperor Napoleon, in 1870 after being challenged to a duel.
Bonaparte had become enraged after Noir's paper La Marseillaise supported another paper,La Revanche, after it published a critique of Emperor Napoleon.
Pierre Bonaparte accused staff at La Marseillaise and La Revanche of being traitors and challenged them to a duel.
Noir and journalist colleague Ulrich de Fonvielle went to meet the Prince of behalf of the paper but he declined the challenge, saying he only wanted to fight his fellow nobleman Victor Henri Rochefort, who owned the paper, but not his 'menials.'
After declining duel Fonvielle said Bonaparte slapped Noir in the head and then shot him dead.
The journalist became a symbol of imperial injustice and a martyr for the Republic.
Over one hundred thousand people attended his funeral where calls for an insurrection were heard. Later that year Napoleon III was dethroned.
After the downfall of the Second Empire (the Bonapartiste regime from 1852 to 1870) Noir's remains were transferred to the Pere Lachaise Cemetery.
The statue of Victor Noir, famous for a protuberance in its trousers, has been touched by thousands of women since being placed in the Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris in 1891.
In a bizarre ritual women kiss the lips, rub the crotch and place a flower in the hand of the statue believing it will improve their relationships and boost fertility.
The well-endowed memorial was sculpted by French artist Jules Dalou and put in the French capital's largest ceremony.
A fence was built around the statue in 2004 after authorities grew concerned that it was losing its finesse.
However after protests the railings were brought down shortly after meaning people were free again to walk up to and touch the monument.
Noir, whose real name was Yvan Salman, was killed by Pierre Bonaparte, a great-nephew of the Emperor Napoleon, in 1870 after being challenged to a duel.
Bonaparte had become enraged after Noir's paper La Marseillaise supported another paper,La Revanche, after it published a critique of Emperor Napoleon.
Pierre Bonaparte accused staff at La Marseillaise and La Revanche of being traitors and challenged them to a duel.
Noir and journalist colleague Ulrich de Fonvielle went to meet the Prince of behalf of the paper but he declined the challenge, saying he only wanted to fight his fellow nobleman Victor Henri Rochefort, who owned the paper, but not his 'menials.'
After declining duel Fonvielle said Bonaparte slapped Noir in the head and then shot him dead.
The journalist became a symbol of imperial injustice and a martyr for the Republic.
Over one hundred thousand people attended his funeral where calls for an insurrection were heard. Later that year Napoleon III was dethroned.
After the downfall of the Second Empire (the Bonapartiste regime from 1852 to 1870) Noir's remains were transferred to the Pere Lachaise Cemetery.
Music: "Shades of Spring" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Source: DailyMail, The Sun , Wikipedia
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