A helicopter transports Zeus, the mechanical horse used in the Paris 2024 Olympic opening ceremony, to be installed for display on the terrace of the abbey of Mont Saint-Michel on July 9, 2025.
The striking metal horse, which was exhibited in Paris and Versailles and has since been touring the country, channelled Pegasus to fly to his breathtaking summer home at Mont-Saint-Michel. Spectacular photos show Zeus being airlifted up to the island’s 1,300-year-old abbey, for his summer residence.
The mechanical horse arrives at the abbey at Mont-Saint-Michel.
(Image credit: AFP via Getty Images/Damien Meyer)
Some 500,000 people have already visited Zeus on his tour of France, and he will be in place on the abbey’s western terrace until 7 September.
“Seeing Zeus rise up in front of l’Abbaye du Mont-Saint-Michel is a special emotion,” said Aurélien Meyer, founder of the horse’s creator, Atelier blam.
“We imagined this horse as a dreamlike creature, capable of conversing with the places it passes through. Installing it here creates an encounter between two monuments – one ancient, the other contemporary – that both tell a story of transcendence, vision, and community.”
The horse on the terrace of the abbey at Mont-Saint-Michel.
(Image credit: AFP via Getty Images/Damien Meyer)
Marie Lavandier, president of the Centre des Monuments Nationaux, which preserves and manages historical sites across France, added: “Following last year’s enthusiastic reception of the Olympic flame, the centre is delighted to welcome Zeus and perpetuate the legacy of the Olympic Games.
“This dialogue between heritage, contemporary creation and cutting-edge technology fully embodies the institution’s ambition: to bring monuments to life by anchoring them in the present.
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“Welcoming this work also invites the public to renew their perspective on this emblematic site, through a sensitive, artistic, and forward-looking approach.”
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.
