The Reformation Monument

Stretching for 100 metres, the Reformation Monument (Monument de la Reformation) in Geneva is a tribute to the Protestant Reformation and one of the most beautiful historical sites in Switzerland which occurred in the 16th century. It was in 1909, on the 400th anniversary of the birth of Jean Calvin, that construction of the Reformation Monument began, with its location adjacent to the city’s historic defensive walls.

During the Reformation, Geneva in Switzerland became the heart of Calvinism named for Jean Calvin, a French pastor, theologian and reformer, founded the University of Geneva. The inscription of “Post Tenebras Lux” is the Latin motto of the Reformation, meaning “After the darkness, light.” The wall was vandalised by an LGBT activism group in 2019, who poured rainbow-coloured paint on the statues.

Today, the pale stone wall framed by trees within Bastion Park remains an ongoing reminder of the great players of the Calvinist Protestant Reformation in Europe. The monument is an unmissable part of the park, once part of the city walls and a symbol for the Calvinist University of Geneva, and is a peaceful spot to escape the hubbub of the city any time of day.