Reformation Monument, Geneva 
Geneva's official commemoration of its significant role in the Reformation is the Reformation Wall (Mur de la Réformation) or Reformation Monument, constructed from 1909 to 1917.
This solemn edifice, appropriately located in the city dubbed the "Protestant Rome," is the most impressive general monument to the Reformation there is.
The giant wall (325 feet long, 30 feet high) dominates the Parc des Bastions centers on 15-foot-tall statues of four Geneva luminaries:
- Guillaume Farel — first to preach the Reformation in Geneva
- John Calvin — leader of the Reformation movement and spiritual father of Geneva
- Theodore Beza — Calvin's successor (who emphasized Calvin's doctrine of predestination)
- John Knox — Scottish preacher, friend of Calvin, and founder of Presbyterianism in Scotland
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It is ironic to recall that these reformers did not look kindly on statues during their lifetimes—and in fact they look very stern indeed. Behind the statues runs the motto of the Reformation and of Geneva, Post Tenebras Lux ("After Darkness, Light").
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The four Genevan reformers are flanked by smaller statues of major Protestant figures, bas-reliefs, and inscriptions connected with the Reformation.
One scene shows Roger Williams and the pilgrim fathers praying on the deck of the Mayflower; other features the 1689 presentation of the Bill of Rights to the Protestant King William of Orange by the Houses of Parliament.
Martin Luther and Ulrich Zwingli, with whom Calvin disagreed on some points, are relegated to plain blocks at the sides of the wall, carved only with their surnames.
Map
Location map and satellite view of the Reformation Wall. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. You can explore all of Geneva from space on our Geneva Satellite Map.
Quick Facts
| Names: | Monument de la Réformation; Mur de la Réformation; Reformation Monument; Reformation Wall; Wall of Reformers |
| Type of site: | Religious history monument; Protestant site |
| Size: | 325 feet long, 30 feet high |
| Dates: | 1909-17 |
| Address: | Parc des Bastions, Geneva, Switzerland |
| Hours: | Always accessible |
Sources
- The Rough Guide to Switzerland
- Monument de la Réformation - Fodor's Online Travel Guide
- Personal visit (December 2006)
