The Monument to the Great Fire of London or simply The Monument is a monument erected in the center of London , which is a Roman Doric column 61.57 meters high, built in 1671 –1677 by the architect Christopher Wren and his help in the restoration of London after the fire by the famous scientist Robert Hooke . The monument is the world's tallest free-standing column [1] [2] [3] .
Location
The monument is located at the intersection of Monument Street ( English Monument Street ) and Fish Street Hill ( English Fish Street Hill ) in the City of London , near the northern tip of the London Bridge over the Thames . It is believed that 202 feet (61.57 meters) from this place in the bakery of Thomas Farinora September 2, 1666 the Great Fire of London began, which symbolizes the height of the column [2] .
Description, History, Use
The monument is a column made of Portland stone ( limestone mined on the island of Portland ), which is crowned with a gilded urn on top of which flames burst. According to the initial project, they wanted to place a statue of Charles II at the top, but then they refused this plan so that the fire would not be associated with the name of the king.
Architects decided to use the monument also for scientific research. Firstly, it was used as a zenith telescope . Secondly, it was used to study gravity and as a pendulum. However, due to heavy traffic on nearby Fish Street Hill, vibration arose that prevented the planned experiments.
Inside the column is a spiral staircase with 311 steps leading to the observation deck at the top. The observation deck was fenced with a grate in the middle of the 19th century after 6 people committed suicide by jumping from it in 1788–1842.
The base of the monument is decorated with Latin texts on three sides. On the north side is a story about how the fire started, what damage it brought to the city, and how it was put out. On the south side is what Charles II did after the fire. And on the east side is the history of the monument itself.
The western side is decorated with a high relief depicting the city destroyed by fire and King Charles II with his brother Jacob , surrounded by Freedom, Architecture and Science, symbolizing the directions of the restoration of London after the fire. The high relief was created by the sculptor Kai Gabriel Sibber [4] .
In 1762, Edinburgh writer James Boswell , climbing the spiral staircase of the Monument, the tallest building in London at that time, experienced a panic attack , but still managed to get to the top of the monument.
View from the top of the Monument
In 2007-2009, a panoramic camera was installed on top of the Monument with a 360-degree view around.
Notes
- ↑ Monument to the London Fire . London in focus. Date of treatment April 29, 2012. Archived on September 19, 2012.
- ↑ 1 2 Monument . Date of treatment April 29, 2012. Archived on September 19, 2012.
- ↑ Monument . www.cityoflondon.gov.uk . City of London (April 28, 2009). Date of treatment April 28, 2012. Archived September 19, 2012.
- ↑ London Monument . Date of treatment April 29, 2012. Archived on September 19, 2012.
See also
- Great fire of London