Louve, Bronze wolf statue at Place de la Louve, La Louvière, Belgium.
The Louve is a bronze statue of a wolf positioned at a central square in La Louvière, mounted on an elevated metal framework above a stone base. The work draws inspiration from the Capitoline Wolf in Rome but does not include the figures of Romulus and Remus.
Sculptor Alphonse Darville created this work, which was inaugurated on July 26, 1953, as a symbol of the city's identity. After multiple vehicle incidents at its original ground-level location, it was later moved to an elevated metal structure for protection.
The statue depicts a wolf standing at a central location in the city and serves as the heraldic symbol of La Louvière. The wolf connects directly to the city's name, which translates to 'wolf den' in French.
The statue is located at a central square and is easily accessible from various directions and visible from all sides. You can clearly view it from the surrounding streets and photograph it from multiple angles.
The current elevation of the statue resulted from an unusual protective measure against vehicle accidents, showing how the city preserves its main symbols. Few visitors know about this notable change, which reflects the statue's unique story.
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