Winged Lion - Geneva, Switzerland
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denben
N 46° 12.502 E 006° 08.932
32T E 280064 N 5121151
This winged lion is standing over the west basin of the Brunswick Monument in Geneva, Switzerland.
Waymark Code: WMFY9C
Location: Genève, Switzerland
Date Posted: 12/16/2012
Views: 12
The Brunswick Monument is a mausoleum built in 1879 to commemorate the life of Charles II, Duke of Brunswick. It rises over picturesque gardens and two large basins. On the sides of each basin is majestically located a winged stone lion. Two more lion statues are guarding the monument while facing Quai du Mont-Blanc and Lake Léman.
The Neo-Gothic mausoleum is a replica of the Scaligeri mausoleum in Verona built in the 14th century for the lords of the city and rebuilt in Geneva by the City Council for the Duke of Brunswick.
Charles d’Este Guelph, Duke of Brunswick, linguist, musician and horseman, was an eccentric. The German Duke, born in 1804, was driven out of his duchy of Braunschweig in 1830. He exiled himself to several European cities. After making a fortune in Paris, he came to Geneva. He died in 1873, leaving his enormous fortune to the city provided it staged a grandiose funeral and built a monument in his name. Never before had a mausoleum been built in Geneva. No wonder the project gave rise to heated debates! It was built finally in the Jardin des Alpes, the former port of the Pâquis district.
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