Geneva's official commemoration of its significant role in the Reformation is the Reformation Wall (Mur de la Réformation) or Reformation Monument, carved in the early 20th century.

History of Reformation Wall

The monument was constructed from 1909 to 1917.

What to See at Reformation Wall

This imposing structure, 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 large Parc des Bastions and centers on 15-foot-tall statues of four Geneva luminaries:

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 shared by the Reformation and Geneva: Post Tenebras Lux ("After Darkness, Light").

The four Genevan reformers are flanked by smaller statues of major Protestant figures, bas-reliefs, and inscriptions. One of the reliefs shows Roger Williams and the pilgrim fathers praying on the deck of the Mayflower; another features the 1689 presentation of the Bill of Rights to the King William of Orange by the English Parliament.

Martin Luther (the German "Father of the Reformation") and Ulrich Zwingli (a major Swiss reformer based in Zürich) have significantly less prominent memorials at the sides of the wall - Calvin had disagreed with them on some points.