{"id":667271,"date":"2022-02-22T19:16:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-22T16:16:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tourism.com.de\/?p=667271"},"modified":"2024-05-01T11:29:23","modified_gmt":"2024-05-01T08:29:23","slug":"trafalgar-square-in-london-history-photo-description-how-to-get-there-map","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tourism.com.de\/en\/trafalgar-square-in-london-history-photo-description-how-to-get-there-map\/","title":{"rendered":"Trafalgar Square in London – history, photo, description, how to get there, map"},"content":{"rendered":"

Trafalgar Square in England is another iconic place in London, its “heart”, as the inhabitants of the city<\/a> call it, or London's “Red Square”, as Russians say. No less famous than Big Ben or Buckingham Palace<\/a>, this geographical and tour<\/a>ist center<\/a> of the capital has witnessed many events.<\/p>\n

Story<\/h2>\n

The place of the future Trafalgar Square (as the square became known after 1830) was first noted by Edward I back in the 13th century. Most of it was occupied by the stables that served the royal palace. Separately, in honor of the deceased wife, Edward erected a bow cross (Charing pillar), which in 1647 was demolished by decree of Parliament. It becomes significant again after the rest<\/a>oration of royal power. In 1657, a statue<\/a> of Charles I was erected on the site of the demolished pillar, and executions and public punishments took place nearby.<\/p>\n

Car<\/a>dinal changes took place already at the beginning of the 19th century, when the stables were demolished, and the wasteland that had arisen in the city center<\/a> had to be given a fine appearance, opening it for public festivities. This idea was to be implemented by John Nash, the court architect of George IV. After the death of the king, Nash was removed from the arrangement of the square, so Charles Barry completed his project. Initially, they decided to name the square in honor of the previously ruling sailor king – Wilhelm Square. It was later renamed Trafalgar, sea<\/a>ling the triumph of the British.<\/p>\n

What can be see<\/a>n<\/h2>\n

The central figure of the architectural ensemble of the attraction is Nelson's Column. At its foot begins a rectangular platform, bounded on four side<\/a>s by pedestals, each of which is crowned with a sculpture of a famous person.<\/p>\n

\"Trafalgar<\/a><\/p>\n

In front of the monument to Nelson there are two fountains<\/a> – western and eastern. Named after two World<\/a> War I admirals Lords Jellicoe and Beatty, they are design<\/a>ed to divide the space to prevent crowds. The fountains were installed immediately after the completion of the construction of the square, however, they took on a modern look after the reconstruction of the 1930s. Now they are decorated with bronze sculptures of dolphins, mermaids and newts.<\/p>\n

Trafalgar Square is surrounded by no less interesting<\/a> sights<\/a>. From the north<\/a> it is bounded by the National Gallery. To see more than 2 thousa<\/a>nd works by famous masters Michelangelo, Titian, Raphael, Rembrandt and others. About 6 million visitors come here every year. Next to the National Gallery is another gallery – the Portrait Gallery, its collection is more modest, but also of interest<\/a>. The latest modernization united them with the square itself, making the street separating the objects pedestrian. Now a wide staircase leads from the square to the buildings.<\/p>\n

The north-east of the square rests on the Church of St. Martin in the Fields, whose parishioners are the royal family. On the east side, the South African House flaunts, on the facade of which bas-reliefs of animals are depicted. It houses the South African embassy. To see another embassy, \u200b\u200byou need to go to the western end of the square, where the Canadian House stands. The southern border is guarded by a monument to Charles I, installed behind the column, on an island<\/a> between the lanes of the road.<\/p>\n

Nelson's Column<\/h3>\n

\"Trafalgar<\/a><\/p>\n

The central figure of the Trafalgar architectural ensemble is Nelson's column, the victorious admiral of the famous battle. The height of the monument is about 52 m, if we consider the height of the column itself – 46 m and the statue – 5.5 m. Its construction cost about $ 6 million.<\/p>\n

The column carved from gray granite is made in the Corinthian style: the top is decorated with a bronze ornament, the base is quadrangular with bronze bas-reliefs depicting important milestones in the admiral's biography. The western fa\u00e7ade depicts the Battle of St. Vincent, after which Nelson was granted nobility, the Order of the Bath and the rank of rear admiral. The northern bas-relief tells of the victory at Abukir, won thanks to Nelson's successful maneuver.<\/p>\n

The eastern facade tells of the battle of Copenhagen, which was not lost only because of the famous commander's bluff. Nelson's wound at the Battle of Trafalgar is depicted in the southern bas-relief. An interesting fact is that the bronze for decorating the monument was obtained by melting down captured cannons.<\/p>\n

Built in 3 years from 1840 to 1843. column – the creation of a whole group of craftsmen. The author of the monument itself is W. Railton, sculptures – E. Bailey, bas-reliefs – M. Watson, W. Wooddington, D. Turnaus and D. Carew. In 1867, 4 granite sculptures of lions by E. Landseer appeared at the base of the monument, the height of which is 6 m.<\/p>\n

Monument to Charles I<\/h3>\n

\"Trafalgar<\/a><\/p>\n

The London monument to Charles I is the center of the capital, its 0 kilometer, from which the distance to any point of the city<\/a> is measured. This first equestrian monument in the UK was created in 1633 by order of the Lord Treasurer R. Weston by the sculptor Y. Le Suer. The English Revolution began and Cromwell ordered the statue to be confiscated and destroyed. The bronze sculpture was saved by the coppersmith D. Rivett, who, instead of melting it down, hid it.<\/p>\n

History<\/a> took a sharp turn, and the Restoration returned the monarchs to the throne. It was then that the statue reappeared and was installed on the spot where the Charing Pillar had once been, and then the regicides were executed. And now anyone can admire the infamous king, sitting in light armor on a horse. In his left hand he has reins, in his right – a symbol of royal power. The monument is similar to the ceremonial equestrian statues of monarchs, the main difference is the style of the image of the hero himself, the ordinariness of his attire. Every year on January<\/a> 30 – the day of the execution of the monarch – Londoners and guests of the city come to honor his memory.<\/p>\n

Four pedestals and monuments<\/h3>\n

According to C. Barry's plan, pedestals were placed at the four corners of the square, which were to be occupied by statues<\/a> of worthy personalities. With three contenders decided quickly.<\/p>\n

George IV reserved the first pedestal for himself, paying 9,000 guineas for it. The king, under whose reign England had gained the preeminence of the sea<\/a>, seemed a worthy candidate. His equestrian statue by F. Chantrey appeared on the northeast plinth in 1843. It was supposed to be placed here temporarily, because. was created for the Marble Arch, but remained forever.<\/p>\n

The southwestern pedestal in 1856 was occupied by a monument to General C. Napier, who was the commander-in-chief in the Indian campaign and conquered the province of Sid. His almost 4-meter statue, the author of which was D. Adams, was created with the money collected by subscription. Another general, who became famous in India and won the love of soldiers, occupies the western pedestal. The statue of General G. Havelock by W. Benes was installed in 1861.<\/p>\n

In 1936, they wanted to replace the monuments to C. Napier and G. Havelock with bus<\/a>ts of Admirals Beatty and Jellicoe. The last place was found along the northern wall, later a bust of Admiral Cunningham was added to this row. The second attempt to remove the statue from the square was in 2003 – the mayor of London, under pressure from immigrants from India, proposed replacing the G. Havelock monument with a more politically correct character. However, the Londoners defended their hero.<\/p>\n

Coca-Cola London Eye ticket \u00a324.30<\/a>
\nTower of London and Royal Treasures<\/a>
\nticket \u00a326.80 Tower Bridge ticket \u00a39.80<\/a>
\nWestminster Abbey entrance ticket and audio guide \u00a320<\/a>
\nMadame Tussauds ticket – \u00a329<\/a>
\nSt. Paul's Cathedral: Fast Track Ticket – \u00a316<\/a>
\nShard Skyscraper – Entrance Ticket & Champagne – \u00a324.95<\/a><\/p>\n

Fourth pedestal<\/h3>\n

The fourth pedestal was intended for William IV, but no money was found to create the statue. For more than 150 years, the foundation waited for its owner, until in 1994 Prue Leith, chairman of the Royal Society of Arts, suggested that the empty plinth be used to house contemporary sculptures and installations.<\/p>\n

After 5 years, the opening took place – it appeared the work of Mark Wallinger “Ecce Homo” – a life-size statue of Christ. Then B. Woodrow and R. Whiteread exhibited here. After 4 years of calm, the base is occupied by the works of M. Quinn, T. Sch\u00fctte, K. Fritz, D. Shrigli and others. What the fourth pedestal has not seen! And the model of the ship in a bottle, and the project of the hotel<\/a>, and the skeleton of a horse, and the generally accepted gesture “everything is fine”, i.e. A 7-meter hand with a raised thumb, which will stand here until March<\/a> 2018.<\/p>\n

The 2009 project “One and the Other” was interesting, which was an hourly change of “living sculptures”. Within 100 days, 2.4 thousa<\/a>nd Britons replaced each other on the pedestal, where they served as a “statue”.<\/p>\n

How much more does he have to see? So in March, the current sculpture will be replaced by the winged god Lamasu, made from empty syrup cans by M. Rakovitz, who tells about the destruction in Iraq. The next in 2020 will be the non-standard composition “The End” by H. Phillipson.<\/p>\n

blue rooster<\/h3>\n

\"Trafalgar<\/a><\/p>\n

The most controversial of the modern works exhibited on the 4th pedestal was the Blue Rooster statue by Katharina Fritz. Almost 5-meter fiberglass sculpture challenged the surrounding grandeur and conservatism in the first place with color. A bright blue bird against the background of stone and bronze statues and sculptures looked surreal.<\/p>\n

When asked by journalist<\/a>s about the reason for choosing this part<\/a>icular image, Katarina replied that she was trying to create something both serious and funny at the same time, so that everyone could see themselves in it. At the same time, the Fritz Rooster became a symbol of renewal and dynamism, just like London itself. But there were those who saw in it the national emblem of France<\/a>. If not for the protection of the mayor, then the sculpture liked by the Londoners might not have appeared on the square.<\/p>\n

pigeons<\/h3>\n

Another attraction of the square was an unusually large number of pigeons living here. Their number reached 35 thousand. Citizens and tourists<\/a> came to feed them with pleasure, so the sellers began to offer special food.<\/p>\n

In 2000, the city authorities begin to fight the birds. First, the shops selling food are demolished, and in 2007 an official ban on feeding birds in Trafalgar Square is issued. Violators are subject to a fine of \u00a350. What is wrong with the birds? It turned out that about 150 thousand rubles are annually spent on cleaning the area<\/a> from litter.<\/p>\n

Now, in order to feed the pigeons, it is necessary to move south of Nelson's Column, where, according to the Londoners, there are places that do not belong to the square.<\/p>\n

Where is it located and how to<\/a> get there<\/a><\/h2>\n

Trafalgar Square is located at the intersection of three main streets of the British capital: Pall Mall, Strand and Whitehall. Considering that this is the center<\/a> of the most popular area – Westminster, it is easy to get here by different transport<\/a>:<\/p>\n

For those who plan to explore other attractions<\/a> in London using public transport<\/a>, an online travel<\/a> planner for the capital will come in handy.<\/p>\n

Trafalgar Square on the map<\/a><\/p>\n