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Top 7 Facts about the Lion Monument in Switzerland

鈥淭his is the most mournful and most moving piece of stone in the world鈥�, these were the words of the famous American author Mark Twain when he saw the lion.

The Lion Monument is also known as the Lion of Lucerne, is a rock carving found in the city of Lucerne, Switzerland.

This rock relief depicts a wounded lion. It is located on a wall of sandstone rock above a pond on the east side of the old town.

It was designed by Bertel Thorvaldsen and carved by Lukas Ahorn from 1820 to 1821. This historical monument pays homage to fallen Swiss Guards in the 1792 massacre.

The soldiers lost their lives while protecting King Louis XVI during the French revolution.

This monument is among the most famous in Lucerne attracting about 1.3 million tourists every year.

Other attractions nearby are the Grand Place and Manneken Pis. In 2006 it was placed under Swiss monument protection. 

Let鈥檚 now look at the top 7 facts about this monument.

1. The monument was carved in honour of fallen soldiers

Photo by davide ragusa on Unsplash

This monument was erected by second lieutenant Carl Pfyffer von Altishofen. He survived the massacre since he was in Lucerne on leave while his fellow soldiers were in Paris.

Altishofen was related to an influential patrician family. He was convicted to build the monument after the revolution ended in 1815.

The Lion Monument was inaugurated in 1821. Its location was private property which was bought by the City of Lucerne in 1882.

Viewing the lion is free and several tourists visit it annually.

2. More than 600 soldiers died

At the beginning of the 17th century, a battalion of Swiss Guards served as part of the Royal Household of France.

In 1789, King Louis XVI was forced out of his royal palace in Versailles. He moved to Tuileries palace in Paris.

The King鈥檚 attempt to flee to Montmedy in 1791 failed since royalist officers were at the frontier. A year later, revolutionaries stormed the palace and kicked him out.

Swiss guard soldiers escorted the Royal family to take refuge with the legislative assembly away from Tuileries.

The Swiss Guards ran low on ammunition and were overwhelmed by a larger number. More than six hundred soldiers were killed during the fighting.

Some were massacred after they surrendered surrender.

3. A note from the King during the revolution survived

Photo by Dimitri Houtteman on Unsplash

A note was written by the King a few moments after the firing had begun survived to this day.

In the note, the King ordered the Swiss guards to retire and return to their barracks. It was delivered in the middle of the fighting.  

This directive by the King was after he realised that their position had become untenable.

About two hundred more soldiers died in prison while others were killed in the September massacre.

4. About 300 Swiss guards survived the massacre

A hundred Swiss guards escaped from the Tuileries. Those that completely survived the revolution were a troop of 300 soldiers.

This group had been ordered by the King to escort grain convoy to Normandy, a few days before the palace was attacked.

Two surviving Swiss officers achieved senior rank under Napoleon.

Moreover, the names of the fallen soldiers are engraved under the Lion Monument. One will also see the number of soldiers that died and those that survived.

5. Mark Twain was quoted saying this was the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world

By Alvin Langdon Coburn – Wikimedia

When visiting this monument in Lucerne, one will see the carved lion lying in its lair. It was carved from the cliff.

The lion鈥檚 head is bowed and there is a broken spear on its soldier while his paw rests on the lilies of France. 

Looking at it, one cannot help but see the pain and sombre mood of the lion, waiting to die. The surrounding environment is quiet and sheltered with green trees and grass.

6. There was a small disagreement on what the lion monument stood for

Liberal politicians from all over Switzerland criticized the memorial.  

However, they were a minority during the 1820s and Pfyffer, the second lieutenant who proposed the monument was backed by a majority in Lucerne.

Their objection was because they had been liberated from the French rule years before.

To them, the monument represented loyalty to France rather than the Swiss values of freedom and autonomy.

The project went on as planned despite the objection. It was carved by stonemason Lucas Ahorn. This lion monument is 33 feet long and 20 feet tall.

There is an inscription at the bottom of the carving that reads 鈥榯o the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss鈥� written in Latin.

7. The initial plan was to have only Swiss nationals work on the project

Photo by Prateek Mahesh on Unsplash

Pfyffer鈥檚 original request was that the monument is conceived and produced entirely by Swiss nationals.

Martin Usteri, an illustrator and poet living in Z眉rich, had shared several proposals for the monument by with Pfyffer in 1817. Neither of them was satisfied with the results.

Pfyffer鈥檚 own relative, Louis Pfyffer, also failed in submitting a convincing sketch.

In 1818, Pfyffer sent an invitation to all Swiss artists to produce models for the monument. He intended to have them displayed in Bern and Z眉rich.

This was to happen at the exhibitions of the Swiss art association that year. None of their designs met the standards he wanted and so he sought help from artists in neighbouring countries.