July 13 - Miami Design District’s Moore Building hosted the annual Bastille Day event for the Consulate General of France. Each year, hundreds of French citizens residing in Miami gather with French and American dignitaries to celebrate France’s most important holiday.
The Moore Building’s atrium, featuring “Elastika,” a permanent installation by renowned architect, Zaha Hadid, was illuminated with beams of red, white and blue, while over 400 guests enjoyed a lavish spread of cheese, charcuterie, salads, crudités and french wines catered by Thierry Isambert Culinary and Event Design. Thierry Isambert has been a leader in the local hospitality industry for over 30 years but he always remains close to the French community in South Florida, serving as caterer for the French Consul’s private and public events and supporting the French International Parents Association (FIPA.)
French Consul, Clément Leclerc, delivered an eloquent speech highlighting the favorable relations between France and the United States. He emphasized statistics, recently published by the US government, revealing that France is the foreign country that created the most jobs in the United States in 2017; 47,700 jobs created by French companies as opposed to 42,100 by the UK and 39,400 by Canada. In light of this speech it was most appropriate to be spending the evening in Miami’s Design District, home to several luxury French brands that have contributed to the elevation of this rapidly evolving neighborhood.
In Front: French Consul, Clément Leclerc | Left to Right: Xavier Capdevielle (conseiller consulaire), Mme. Erin Leclerc, Philip Stoddard (Mayor of South Miami), Dean Trantalis (Mayor of Fort Lauderdale) and the Lieutenant-Gouverneur of Florida : Carlos López-Cantera
The term, “Bastille Day” is used to describe the holiday in Britain and the USA, in France, however, it is better known as “ la fête du 14 Juillet,” or “la fête national.”
July 14th marks the date when revolutionaries stormed the prison at the Bastille, sparking the French revolution and bringing an end to the callous tyranny of the French monarchy. Today, though, it is a day to celebrate “liberty, equality and fraternity.” Much like July 4th in the United States, July 14th in France is a day of patriotic pride, and the original 18th century political events are not commemorated.
Festivities in France include fireworks in every town, with the most spectactular pyrotechnics display off the Eiffel Tower. The impressive military parade up the Champs Elysée on the morning of July 14th every year is also one of the most famous events of this most popular French national holiday.
