Lucerne - a short history of The Lion Monument by Mark Sukhija

Detail of the Lion Monument in LucerneThe Lion Monument in Lucerne , the most sentimental of Swiss Monuments, commerates the Swiss mercenaries who, serving the French King Louis XVI, lost their lives during the French Revolution at the Tuileries Palace in Paris . Many were killed during the invasion of the Tuileries on the 10th August 1792 while others were guillotined on the 2nd and 3rd September 1792. The inscription above the Lion reads "Helvetiorum fedei ac Virtuti" which translates as "To the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss." A fitting tribute.

Carved into the cliff face, the monument measures a staggering 10 meters in length and and six meters in height. Captain Carl Pfyffer von Altishofen commissioned the Lion Monument which, in turn, was designed by the Danish classicist sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsenwhilst in Rome in 1819. Lucas Ahorn, a stone-mason from Constance in modern day Germany, carved the sculpture out of the limestone cliff face in 1820 and 1821.

At the time of the French Revolution, Swiss Mercenaries, along with agriculture and town-crafts, were an important and gainful trade during the Ancien Regime as a whole with as many as 40,000 serving under foreign banners when the French Revolution started in 1789.

The Monument was inaugurated on the 10th August 1821 and was purchased by the town of Lucerne in 1882.

Related Posts

Lucerne - 7 things not to miss What not to miss in Lucerne
Lucerne - Water tower and bridges Water tower and bridges across the River Ruess in the Luzerner Old Town
Lucerne - Chapel Bridge across the Ruess River View of Kappelbrüke in Lucerne with the Hofkirche in the background
Luzerner Fasnacht - black knight conducting his Guggemusik troupe Costumed knight conducting a troupe at the Luzerner Fasnacht
Luzerner Fasnacht - masks on baskets Fasnachtler masks on wicker baskest in Lucerne old town
Luzerner Fasnacht - sunshine masks Sunshine masks for the Luzerner Fasnacht in 2010
Luzerner Fasnacht 2010 - a bandleader processes through the old town Bandleader leading his troupe through the central Altstad of Lucerne
Luzerner Fasnacht 2010 - decorated carriage in an old-town square Decorated carriage and masks in the old town of central Lucerne

Map

Further reading

Lucerne - 7 things not to miss - What not to miss in Lucerne

Lucerne - getting around - How to get around Lucerne in central Switzerland

Lucerne - getting there - How to Lucerne in central Switzerland

Switzerland - places not to miss - Sixteen places not to miss around Switzerland

Zürich - day trips out of town - Suggested day trips and excursions from Zurich

Lucerne - Water tower and bridges - Water tower and bridges across the River Ruess in the Luzerner Old Town

Lucerne - Chapel Bridge across the Ruess River - View of Kappelbrüke in Lucerne with the Hofkirche in the background

Luzerner Fasnacht 2010 - a band playing in the Old Town - Luzerner Fasnacht 2010 in pictures and video clips

Luzerner Fasnacht 2010 - band playing in an Old Town Square - Luzerner Fasnacht 2010 in pictures and video clips

Luzerner Fasnacht 2010 - procession of music - Luzerner Fasnacht 2010 in pictures and video clips

Lucerne Tourism - Official website of the Lucerne Tourism Office

Key facts

Name: Lion Monument
Address:
Denkmalstrasse 4, 6006 Lucerne

About Mark Sukhija

Mark Sukhija is a travel and wine blogger, photographer, tourism researcher, hat-touting, white-shirt-wearing, New Zealand fantatic and eclipse chaser. Aside from at least annual visits to New Zealand, Mark has seen eclipses in South Australia (2002), Libya (2006), China (2009) and Queensland (2012). After twelve years in Switzerland, Mark moved back to London in 2012. You can follow Mark on Twitter or Facebook