The saddest piece of stone in the world
Location
Denkmalstrasse 4
6002 Luzern
Description
Probably the most famous stone lion lies above an idyllic pond in a mighty rock face in the neighborhood of the Glacier Garden Museum and commemorates the fallen Swiss Guards during the Tuileries Storm in the French Revolution (1792).
The monument has been in existence since 1821, when Lukas Ahorn (DE) created it based on the model of Bertel Thorvaldsen (DK). The American Mark Twain described the Lucerne Lion as "the saddest and most moving piece of stone in the world". The Latin inscription below the lion gives the names of the fallen officers.
The Lion Monument in Lucerne served as a filming location for the nomination clip of the European Film Awards 2024 (video 03:37 - 04:25).
Picture Credits
© Pictures 1 & 2 Luzern Tourismus
© Pictures 3-6 Lili Kaelin