Lion of Lucerne, 9.7 in. (25 cm), The Lion Monument, Lucerne Monument, Switzerland Lion, Swiss Guard Monument, Bertel Thorvaldsen, AvtechStoneGallery

The Lion Monument, also known as the Lion of Lucerne, is a rock relief in Lucerne, Switzerland, designed by Bertel Thorvaldsen and hewn in 1820–21 by Lukas Ahorn. It commemorates the Swiss Guards who were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution, when revolutionaries stormed the Tuileries Palace in Paris. It is one of the most famous monuments in Switzerland, visited annually by about 1.4 million tourists.

In 2006 it was placed under Swiss monument protection. Mark Twain praised the sculpture of a mortally wounded lion as "the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world." Carved into the cliff face, the original monument measures ten metres in length and six metres in height.

The monument inscription at the top is a dedication " Helvetiorum Fidei ac Virtuti ("To the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss"). The dying lion is portrayed impaled by a spear, covering a shield bearing the fleur-de-lis of the French monarchy; beside him is another shield bearing the coat of arms of Switzerland. The inscription below the sculpture lists the names of the officers and gives the approximate numbers of soldiers who died (DCCLX = 760), and survived (CCCL = 350).

You can use the Zoom feature to better read the inscriptions on the plaque. Dimensions are: Width is 9.75 inches, height is 6.5 inches, and depth is 1.5 inches

Made of a composite fibreglass reinforced HydroStone each item is hand cast and then hand finished to bring out all of the detail. It is given a permanent faux finish with a rustic look, and I also seal it with a coat of clear sealant to give it a professional finished appearance and to protect the finish. It has a hook on the backside for hanging.

The item as shown in the picture is ready for delivery now.