At the highest indicate of the Utrecht Ridge , inwards the Dutch hamlet of Woudenberg , stands Europe’s alone pyramid. The 36-meter-tall earthen loma was built inwards 1804 yesteryear Napoleon’s soldiers , nether the direction of General Marmont every bit a tribute to his friend as well as representative Napolean Bonaparte (although Marmont betrayed Napolean later). Marmont called it "Mont Marmont". But inwards 1806 , despite protestation from General Marmont , Louis Napoleon , the novel manlike individual monarch of Kingdom of the Netherlands , renamed the loma the Pyramid of Austerlitz inwards retentiveness of the Battle of Austerlitz inwards which Napoleon decisively defeated the Russians as well as Austrians.
Photo credit: Kattjosh/Flickr
In 1804 the French General Auguste de Marmont established an regular army army camp inwards this key place inwards the Batavian Republic , the acquaint Netherlands , where over a catamenia of several months he managed to forge together diverse battalions into a large , well-trained regular army , capable of beating the British enemy should at that spot move whatever repetition of the invasion of 1799. Satisfied alongside the armed services ability of the novel regular army , as well as to occupy his bored soldiers , inwards the tumble of 1804 Marmont had his soldiers build an globe as well as turf monument inspired yesteryear the pyramid of Giza , which Marmont had seen inwards 1798 during Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign. Even the erosion-exposed stepped surface was imitated.
Construction took a mere 27 days as well as the construction rose to 36 meters. The apex of the pyramid was apartment where was erected a 13-meter-tall wooden obelisk. Marmont was , nevertheless , likewise haste inwards its construction. There wasn’t fifty-fifty a proper foundation to the structure. It was exactly a pile of globe as well as sand. Naturally , the pyramid started to collapse non likewise long after it was built. Marmont struggled to piece of occupation on it inwards proficient repair , but when locals vandalized it yesteryear removing the rock plaques , the frustrated General sold the pyramid as well as the surrounding state to the Hubert M.A.J. van Asch van Wijk , who would afterwards teach mayor of the nearby metropolis of Utrecht.
The pyramid remained neglected throughout the 20th century , until its restoration inwards 2004. The Pyramid as well as the surrounding surface area is immediately a pop tourist attraction as well as recreation spot.
The Pyramid earlier it was restored. Photo credit: Fernambukk/Panoramio
Photo credit: Traveling Tourist/Flickr
Photo credit: Traveling Tourist/Flickr
Photo credit: Marc Rauw/Flickr