Lion Monument

A dying lion is a sculpture cut down in a rock in the very center of Lucerne. This world-famous composition of Bertel Torvaldsen, erected in honor of the Swiss guards, who died in the 1792 uprising.

This lion in the rock – is the very first image of an animal on monuments throughout Europe. He cannot leave anyone indifferent, because it is simply impossible to look at this human art without a lump in his throat. Such a monument does not oblige anything, in any other state he would have found a place, and no one would have a desire to demolish it.

The history of the sculpture « The dying lion » tells us the following: The Great French Revolution lasted three consecutive years, but the king was still at the throne. Nevertheless, one day the government house of Tuilri was taken. At the same time, the military switched to the side of the rebellious people, and the Swiss guards remained faithful to the king, who took an oath of allegiance to their ruler. The monarch ordered not to shoot, which doomed hundreds of devoted guards to death.

The idea of erecting a monument to the tragically dead guardsmen came to mind Karl Pfüffer, who was also a guardsman, but at that merciless time was on a well-deserved vacation, which is why he survived. He was so stunned by the death of his twinning, that he decided to perpetuate their names in this way. To translate his excellent idea into reality, Pfuffru had to wait three whole years.

To erect the monument « to the Dying Lion », Pfüffer decided to attract a world-recognized sculptor Bertel Torvaldsen, who wrote a letter. The famous sculptor liked this idea, and after some time he sent the first sketches of the future masterpiece. Torvaldsen himself did not begin to erect this monument for unknown reasons, but Eggenshweller, who died prematurely before he could complete it, took up work. The sculpture by sculptor Lucas Ahorna, who clearly adhered to the Trvaldsenao layout, took up the eviction of the cultural monument.

The sculpture is a lion that is located in its lair in the middle of a section of a sheer rock. The head of the figure is leaning to one side, and a broken spear peeps out from the shoulder. Around the monument is green and calm.

The festive opening of the monument « the Dying Lion » took place 29 years after those restless events that ended in the death of loyal soldiers. At the opening of the monument was to know Europe and Switzerland, as well as the guards who survived.

Every year, here, at the foot of the monument « the Dying Lion », the festival is celebrated, which is the most important event of the city.