Woinic, le colosse des Ardennes

It is the emblem par excellence of the Ardennes and represents so well the image of the territory, the forests, the legends, and also but especially the incarnation of the metallurgical know-how and the work of the men of this department. Exceptional measurements: It is almost 10 metres high, 14 metres long and 5 metres wide, its dream measurements are now an integral part of the collective culture of the Ardennes. It is in a workshop in the town of Bogny-sur-Meuse, with the help of an arc welding machine, that the sculpture was created to pay tribute to the ironwork and metalwork of the Ardennes. Eric Sléziak, Woinic's father, started the construction on January 1st 1983 and finished it 11 years later, after 12.000 hours of work. 08/08/08 : Unique day for the department of Ardennes (08), this date marked in the history of the department, the epic of Woinic. From the workshop where it was built, to the rest area where it now proudly welcomes tourists, it travelled 55 km and was acclaimed by more than 150,000 Ardennes residents! #### Dream measurements: Almost 10 metres high, 14 metres long, 5 metres wide! 50 tons of metal, 6.5 tons of welding and more than 12,000 hours of work for its creator who created it from his imagination using a sledgehammer, a disc machine and a welding station. The realization required 430 welding coils and 328 gas bottles. Started on January 1, 1983, this colossal monument was completed 11 years later, on December 15, 1993. Here is the titanic work of sculptor Eric Sléziak : Former metallurgist the sculptor Eric Sléziak, a man from the Meuse Valley, is the creator of Woinic. In his workshop in Bogny-sur-Meuse, Eric Sléziak faced the freezing cold of winter and the suffocating heat of some summers. An iron will: that of an Ardennes man. A form of homage to metallurgy. Woinic is a formidable example of tenacity. Like the boar. Emblem of a whole territory: This work is the pride of all the people of the Ardennes and of the Departmental Council of the Ardennes which has chosen to keep this emblematic image of the wild boar on its logo. Mythical animal, it is part of the collective culture of the department. It is the bearer of its identity values: strength, courage and solidarity. Its journey: Woinic came out of its lair in Bogny-sur-Meuse on Monday 4 August 2008. More than 150,000 people came to meet him during his extraordinary 55-kilometre journey through the Ardennes department at a speed of 8 km/hour. The colossus reached the area of Saulces-Monclin-Faissault on August 8th 2008, D-day of the festivities of 08-08-08*, the day of the century for all the Ardennes.*08 being the number of the department of the Ardennes. #### Almost 10 meters high, 14 meters long, 5 meters wide! 50 tons of metal, 6.5 tons of welding and more than 12,000 hours of work for its creator, who created it from his imagination with a sledgehammer, a disc machine and a welding station. The realization required 430 welding coils and 328 gas bottles. Started on January 1, 1983, this colossal monument was completed 11 years later, on December 15, 1993. This is the titanic work of sculptor Eric Sléziak. Eric Sléziak Former metallurgist the sculptor Eric Sléziak, a man from the Meuse Valley, is the creator of Woinic. In his workshop in Bogny-sur-Meuse, Eric Sléziak faced the icy cold of winter and the suffocating heat of some summers. An iron will: that of an Ardennes man. A form of homage to metallurgy. Woinic is a formidable example of tenacity. Like the boar. In the image of the Ardennes. Emblem of a whole territory This work is the pride of all the people of the Ardennes and of the Departmental Council of the Ardennes which has chosen to keep this emblematic image of the wild boar on its logo. A mythical animal, it is part of the collective culture of the department. It is the bearer of its identity values: strength, courage and solidarity. Its journey Woinic came out of its lair in Bogny-sur-Meuse on Monday 4 August 2008. More than 150,000 people came to meet him during his extraordinary 55-kilometre journey through the Ardennes department at a speed of 8 km/hour. The colossus reached the Saulces-Monclin-Faissault area on August 8, 2008, D-Day of the festivities of 08-08-08*, the day of the century for all the people of the Ardennes. *08 being the number of the department of the Ardennes.