Nelson's column comes into view at
Trafalgar Square. The column is made of granite; Horatio Nelson, facing you from
the top, is made of sandstone; and Lanseer's four lions at the base are cast in
bronze. The sea Battle of Trafalgar took place off the coast of Spain and was
the most decisive British victory of the Napoleonic war. Nelson was mortally
wounded although none of the British ships under his command was lost. The
statue shows Nelson with just one eye and one arm wounds he sustained
during earlier conflicts. The square is regarded as the geographical centre of
London. Over at the far side is the National Gallery with one of the finest
collections of European paintings in the world |