The Lion Monument is a life-size lion carved directly into a sandstone cliff face in the park just north of the old town. Completed in 1821, it commemorates the Swiss Guards who died defending the Tuileries Palace during the French Revolution. The design is by the Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen; the carving was executed by Lucas Ahorn of Constance.
The dying lion lies in a hollow in the rock, a shattered lance in its flank, one paw resting on a French royal shield. Below it, a Latin inscription gives the number of the fallen: HELVETIORUM FIDEI AC VIRTUTI — "To the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss." The small pool in front reflects the sculpture. Mark Twain's famous description made it one of the most celebrated monuments in Europe, and it still draws steady crowds — though it retains its power to move visitors who come expecting a tourist attraction.