Wednesday, August 10, 2011

10 AUG 1792 - Attack on Tuileries Palace Anniversary: The Fall of the Gallant Swiss Guard

Editor: You fought like Lions against the madness of a Nation and obeyed your King to certain death. Let all look to the sacrifice of your precious youth and shed a tear, though your glory was not in vain.

After driving back the crowd in the face of hostile canon, they were ordered to surrender but no quarter was given by the mob worked to fury by the lies of the Jacobins.

To the Honor and Glory of the Swiss



Inscription translation for the dedication to the courageous Swiss who died in the defense of the Royal Family and the destiny of France with thanks to M. Canard:



To the loyalty and bravery of Swiss

On the days of the 10th of August 2nd and 3rd of September 1792

Here are the names of those who did not betray their oath

With great bravery, fighting, died.
here below are carved the names of the dead officers
Survived because of the effective help of friends
here below are carved the names of the survived officers

The following is some commentary from Imperial.opal on the forum Alexander Palace Time Machine:
The Lion Monument or Lion of Lucerne was designed by a Danish sculptor Bertel Thorwaldsen and was hewn into the sandstone cliff between 1820 and 1821, it is dedicated to the memory of the brave Swiss Guards who defended the Tuileries Palace in 1792, who were forced to lay down their arms by the order of Louis XVI which resulted in their massacre. Depicting a dying lion with its paw poised over the shield bearing the fleur- de- lys of the Bourbon king, a broken lance pierces its heart, signifiying its loyalty in protecting the sheid to its death. Mark Twain called it the ''saddest and most moving piece of rock in the world''




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