Erected between 1824 and 1826, the Lion Mound is the most recognized symbol of the Waterloo battlefield. A look back at its history and its place at the heart of the Brainois landscape.
At the request of the sovereign of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, William I (1772-1843), the Butte was built on the presumed site where his son, the young Prince of Orange, was wounded on June 18, 1815. Hit in the shoulder and transported to the Mont-Saint-Jean farm, the heir to the throne commanded the Belgian-Dutch troops under the orders of the Duke of Wellington.
Nine years after the fighting, the kingdom seeks to commemorate this episode of Napoleon’s final battle: Belgium was Dutch territory until its independence in 1830.
At the beginning of 1820, the architect of the power, Charles Vander Straeten,was chosen for his project of a tumulus, while others proposed a pyramid or an obelisk. It was decided that it would be crowned by a lion, the main symbol of the regime.
This Leo belgicus (Belgian Lion) is made of nine pieces of iron cast in Seraing. Its weight and dimensions are impressive: 28 tons by 4.5 meters long by 4.45 meters high, from head to toe.
The mound on which it sits is visible from several kilometers around, from the top of its 41 meters high and 169 meters in diameter.
At its center, a brick column supports the weight of the lion. Turned towards France, the animal has its paw resting on a globe, announcing the rediscovered European peace.
On October 28, 1826 it was raised and placed on its pedestal. The staircase of 227 steps was only added in 1863-1864; today one is missing, after the collapse of the mound at the end of the 20th century. Its ascent offers a panoramic view of the different areas of the battlefield, from La Haie-Sainte to the Sonian Forest.
Many personalities have climbed this monumentthat has become iconic in Belgium, from the Emperor of Japan to Buffalo Bill…
