Lion Monument - Löwendenkmal

The Lion Monument, or Löwendenkmal, is a rock relief in Lucerne, Switzerland, designed by Lukas Ahorn in 1819 and erected in 1821. It is dedicated to the Swiss guards who were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution, when revolutionaries stormed the Tuileries Palace in Paris. This impressive monument is located at the end of the Hofgasse in Lucerne along the city wall. It shows a dying lion, lying on a shield with the coat of arms of Bern canton, its home town. The inscription below the lion reads: “HERE LIES THE FAITHFUL SWISS GUARD”. The monument is visited by many tourists from around the world each year and is a popular spot for photographers.