Congress Column

This monumental column in Brussels commemorates the National Congress that drafted Belgium's constitution after independence in 1830. Completed in 1859, the tall stone shaft is crowned by a statue of King Leopold I, the country's first monarch. Four bronze female figures at the base personify the constitutional freedoms of worship, association, education, and the press, while lions guard the steps. At the foot burns an eternal flame marking Belgium's tomb of the unknown soldier.