So last Tuesday I woke up thinking, right, gonna finally go see that Reformation Wall thing in Geneva. You know, that huge stone monument everyone talks about near the old park. Got my buddy Alex, made sandwiches – figured we’d need ’em – and jumped on the tram downtown. Easy peasy, thought it’d be.
First thing hits us? Finding the dang place. Google Maps says “left,” signs say “right,” ended up doing a full circle near the university. Saw the big main university building like three times. Alex starts moaning about his feet already. Typical. Finally stumbled into Parc des Bastions. Can’t miss the wall once you’re there – massive, grey, serious-looking guys staring at you from the stone. Felt kinda small standing in front of it.
Okay, Time to Figure Out Who’s Who
Walked up close, tilted my head back – necks hurt straight away. Four massive dudes in the middle, tallest ones. Got my phone out, looked it up quick:
- William Farel: Guy with the pointy beard, looked kinda fiery. Remembered reading he was one of the first pushing change in Switzerland. Serious expression.
- John Calvin: Smack in the center. Bigger than the others, stone robe flowing. The main brain behind the whole Geneva reformation thing.
- Theodore Beza: Next to Calvin, looked like a scholar. Ended up taking over after Calvin kicked it. Bit less intense, maybe?
- John Knox: Over on the right. Looked fierce! Supposedly took Calvin’s ideas back to Scotland big time.
Honestly, just seeing them carved so huge and stern? Felt heavy. Like they were judging you. Alex joked, “Bet they never smiled.” Probably right.
But Wait, There’s More Stone People!
Started looking around the sides. Smaller statues and carvings everywhere. Kept spotting names:
- Oliver Cromwell: English fella. Saw his name on a plaque, found him looking stern off to the side.
- Roger Williams: American connection! Guy who did the religious freedom stuff in Rhode Island. Felt cool spotting that.
- Gaspard de Coligny: French Huguenot leader. Bad ending for him, sadly.
- Plus loads of others – Frederick III (some important German prince), William the Silent (Dutch guy)… the list went on.
Walked along the wall, tracing names with my finger. Realised it wasn’t just about church stuff. This wall showed how it all exploded outwards – politics, wars, whole countries changing. Saw figures representing places like Prussia, Scotland, the Netherlands carved along the sides underneath the big guys. Landowski really built a history lesson into rock.
Why Does This Big Stone Thing Even Exist?
Sat down on a bench facing it, ate the sandwiches. Kinda sweaty by now. Looked it up: Monument was finished way back in 1909. Built to celebrate the 400th birthday of Calvin – or maybe the 350th of the Geneva uni? Gets fuzzy.
Important bit: The land belonged to the University of Geneva itself. That made sense – right there, where we got lost earlier. Landowski was this famous French sculptor – apparently did the Christ in Rio too? – and he teamed up with others. It felt like a giant, permanent “thank you” note from the city and the university to those reformers, showing how far their ideas spread.
Seeing all those figures together? Drove home how messy it was. Not just one guy, but a whole chain reaction started by Farel and Calvin, picked up by others across Europe and America. Some won, some lost their heads over it.
Finished the sandwiches, legs tired. Stared at the wall a bit longer. Alex said, “Okay, got it. Big important stone guys. Can we go get a beer now?” Yeah, fair. Started walking back towards the tram stop, the big stone faces watching us go. Made you think about how ideas, once they take hold, need people chiseling them into reality. Landowski just chiseled it literally. Heavy stuff for a Tuesday. Beer tasted good after that history brain workout.
