Löwenstatue vor der Residenz

Four bronze lions crouch at the portals of the Munich Residenz, each holding a shield etched with an emblem and a Latin inscription. These figures, commissioned in the early seventeenth century by Duke Maximilian the First, were originally placed in the Hofgarten before being moved to guard the western entrances of the palace. They have long been associated with the four cardinal virtues: Prudence, Justice, Fortitude, and Temperance.