Residents of Birmingham, Alabama know Vulcan, the Roman, green god of fire and the forge. A towering statue of Vulcan, the perfect symbol of a town with steel roots, has stood atop Red Mountain since 1936.
And now, joined by Vesta, the Roman goddess of hearth and home, Vulcan – referred to as ‘V’ by organizers – is one of two official mascots for the Birmingham 2022 World Games.
Vulcan and Vesta were announced as official mascots for the World Games in July 2021 and “embodies the spirit of Birmingham’s history”, organizers said.
The two 6-foot-tall costumed mascots made special appearances in the run-up to the World Games (July 7-17) and will appear at the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.
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Vulcan Statue
Birmingham’s Vulcan statue is the largest cast iron statue in the world. The 50-ton statue was designed by Italian artist Giuseppe Moretti and cast in local iron in 1904.
After an appearance representing Birmingham at the 1904 World’s Fair, the statue was returned to the city but fell into disrepair before efforts to give it a suitable home were announced. The statue was moved to Red Mountain in the 1930s where it was placed on a pedestal with a park around the base. For years, Vulcan held a glowing torch that glowed green if there had been no fatal traffic accident in the past 24 hours and red if there had been a fatal wreck.
The statue and surrounding 10-acre park were renovated in 1971 before being removed in 1994 for extensive restoration work. The renovated statue was re-erected in June 2003.
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