The Lion Monument in Lucerne is a giant dying lion carved out of a wall of sandstone rock above a pond at the east end of the town. It was designed as a memorial for the mercenary soldiers from central Switzerland who lost their lives while serving the French king Louis XVI during the French Revolution. Swiss mercenary soldiers had a long tradition of military success, but in 1848 the Swiss constitution declared such services to foreign powers a criminal offense, with the sole exception of the Swiss guard at the Vatican.
The monument was designed by Bertel Thorvaldsen, a Danish sculptor, in 1819. Lucas Ahorn, a stone-mason from southern Germany, actually carved it in 1820-21. The giant sculpture is 20 ft high and 33 ft long. The upright wall of rock is the remains of a quarry used over centuries to build the town. The Latin inscription
HELVETIORUM FIDEI AC VIRTUTI means "To the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss." The monument was inaugurated on August 10, 1821 and purchased by the city of Lucerne in 1882.
We took a walking tour of Lowenplatz (Lion Square) and enjoyed window shopping. We made purchases at a chocolate shop and a kitchen shop. It was a short walk to the entrance to the English Garden with the monument.
The Lion Monument in Lucerne is a giant dying lion carved out of a wall of sandstone rock above a pond at the east end of the town. It was designed as a memorial for the mercenary soldiers from central Switzerland who lost their lives while serving the French king Louis XVI during the French Revolution. Swiss mercenary soldiers had a long tradition of military success, but in 1848 the Swiss constitution declared such services to foreign powers a criminal offense, with the sole exception of the Swiss guard at the Vatican.
The monument was designed by Bertel Thorvaldsen, a Danish sculptor, in 1819. Lucas Ahorn, a stone-mason from southern Germany, actually carved it in 1820-21. The giant sculpture is 20 ft high and 33 ft long. The upright wall of rock is the remains of a quarry used over centuries to build the town. The Latin inscription HELVETIORUM FIDEI AC VIRTUTI means "To the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss." The monument was inaugurated on August 10, 1821 and purchased by the city of Lucerne in 1882. 
We took a walking tour of Lowenplatz (Lion Square) and enjoyed window shopping. We made purchases at a chocolate shop and a kitchen shop. It was a short walk to the entrance to the English Garden with the monument. 
