FRANCE-HISTORY-TOURISM-HERITAGE-SEA-US

The French frigate Hermione departs to the Aix island, on September 7, 2014 from Rochefort, western France. The replica of the Hermione, the frigate on which La Fayette embarked in 1780 to bring help and support to the American insurgents, will make its first sea trip on September 7 from Rochefort, a decisive step in a 17 year-long gigantic project. This is not yet the big departure for the United States, in the footsteps of Gilbert du Motier (1757-1834), Marquis de La Fayette, scheduled for April 2015. But the output of the three-masted ship off the Charente is a first success for this challenge that started in 1997. AFP PHOTO / XAVIER LEOTY (Photo credit should read XAVIER LEOTY/AFP via Getty Images)