Switzerland

The Dying Lion of Lucerne

Commencing my first actual post for this blog, I'm bringing us to the beautiful lake city of Lucerne. Lucerne is situated in the German-speaking region of Switzerland. It's most commonly known for its well protected medieval architecture as well as their stunning crystal clear lakes.

The Dying Lion of Lucerne is one of Lucerne's most attracted landmark. The inscription above the sculpture reads, " HELVETIORUM FIDEI AC VIRTUTI". Which means," To the Loyalty and Bravery of the Swiss". This statue was commissioned by Carl Pfyffer von Altishofen, he was a second lieutenant of the Swiss Guards in 1815. He was originally opposed by the liberal side of the government as the landmark was to represent the Swiss mercenaries who died protecting King Louis the XVI during the French Revolution. But was overturned by the lack of support within the government. The sculpture was designed by a sculptor by the name of Bertel Thorsvalden. A Danish born sculptor who resided in Rome at the time. The actual monument was carved by Lucas Ahorn, a stonemason who lived in Southern Germany. He carved this piece out of Sandstone from 1820-21.

The meaning of this monument is very unique and interesting. Swiss mercenaries were renowned for their loyalty to their employer, so when the Parisians attacked the palace 1000 Swiss men stood their ground and did their best to protect the king. Roughly 300 lost their lives, von Altishofen was part of that group but he was away at the time.

The most standing part of the sculpture is the facial feature of the lion as you can clearly see that he's dying. If you look closer you can see that there is a spear embedded into his side. The lion is also lying over a shield which has the fleur-de-lis. It is a sign of the french monarchy; the cause that these brave men died for. When this was erected it was on private property but was later bought by the government in 1882. Below the sculpture is an inscription of the men that fought and died for the king.

Mark Twain once commented that this was," the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world".

Photo Credit to: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/Kapellbrucke_in_Lucerne.jpg   http://maxpixel.freegreatpicture.com/static/photo/1x/Monument-Relief-Dying-Lion-Monument-Lion-780009.jpg