The Lion of Belfort is a sculpture located at the foot of the citadel of Belfort, in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region.
It is a monumental work in the form of high relief designed by the sculptor Auguste Bartholdi (1834-1904), originally from the nearby Alsace region, also famous for being the author of the Statue of Liberty.
22 m long and 11 m high, the sculpture of the Lion by Belfort features a lion lying down, its paw resting on an arrow, ready to stand up.
Made of pink sandstone from the Vosges, the work was commissioned by the city in 1871 from Bartholdi, in particular because the artist had fought in 1870 as Garibaldi's aide-de-camp.
The work commemorates the city's resistance between December 1870 and February 1871 against the Prussian army. It was completed in 1879 and the artist himself funded the festivities for its inauguration.
Classified in 1931, the Lion of Bartholdi has become the symbol of the city.
A copper replica of the sculpture was produced and installed in Paris, place Denfert-Rochereau, another in Montreal.
Even Belfort, the lion is illuminated in the evening and is one of the main attractions of the city. Information on +33 3 84 55 90 90.
