Monument to Sir Alexander Ball
Monument in the form of a temple in Valletta, Malta From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Monument to Sir Alexander Ball (Maltese: Il-Monument ta' Sir Alexander Ball) is a neoclassical monument in the Lower Barrakka Gardens in Valletta, Malta. It was built in 1810 as a memorial to Sir Alexander Ball, a British admiral who was the first Civil Commissioner of Malta. Attributed to the architect Giorgio Pullicino, the monument is in the form of an ancient Greek temple.
| Monument to Sir Alexander Ball | |
|---|---|
Il-Monument ta' Sir Alexander Ball | |
 The monument in 2016 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Status | Intact |
| Type | Monument in the form of a temple |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical (Greek Revival) |
| Location | Lower Barrakka Gardens |
| Town or city | Valletta, Malta |
| Coordinates | 35°53′50.9″N 14°31′3.2″E |
| Named for | Sir Alexander Ball |
| Completed | 1810 |
| Renovated | 1884 (restoration) |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Limestone |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Giorgio Pullicino (attributed) |
| Renovating team | |
| Architect(s) | Andrea Vassallo and Emanuele Luigi Galizia |
,_by_Henry_William_Pickersgill.jpg)
Sir Alexander Ball was a British naval officer who was sent to Malta in 1798 to help the Maltese rebels in the blockade against the French. Ball became the first Civil Commissioner of Malta, a post he held from 1799 to 1801 and again from 1802 until his death on 25 October 1809. Ball was widely loved and respected by the Maltese people.[1]
In December 1809, the Maltese set up a committee of "Deputies of the Nation" and petitioned the Acting Commissioner Francis Chapman to build a monument dedicated to Ball.[2] The Lower Barrakka Gardens was chosen as the site to build the monument, since its location on the fortifications overlooking the Grand Harbour was appropriate to honour a naval officer, and it was an area popular with the local population. The strategic location of the monument made it a powerful symbol of British rule in Malta.[1]
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The monument was constructed in 1810, and its design is attributed to the Maltese architect Giorgio Pullicino.[1] The monument was built using funds collected by the local population.[3]
The monument deteriorated quickly after its construction since it is exposed to the elements. In 1883, Captain E. H. Seymour formed a committee to restore it,[2] and it was restored the following year by Andrea Vassallo under the supervision of Emanuele Luigi Galizia.[1] The restored monument was inaugurated by Governor Sir Lintorn Simmons on 18 December 1884.[2]
The monument was restored once again in 2001, as part of an overall restoration and rehabilitation of the Lower Barrakka.[3]
The monument was designed in the Greek Revival style of Neoclassical architecture. It is built in the form of an ancient Greek temple with a solid naos and a Doric tetrastyle portico.[1] The design was inspired by the Temple of Hephaestus in Athens,[3] but the proportions are completely different since the monument is much smaller than the temple.[2] It is set on a high stylobate in order to make the structure more imposing. Each of the four walls of the naos contains a niche containing allegorical statues representing War, Prudence, Justice and Immortality. These statues are the work of the sculptor Vincenzo Dimech.[1]
The frieze contains the following inscription:[2]
ALEXANDRO IOAN BALL EQ. BAR.
MELITENSIUM PIETAS
ET SUORUM DESIDERIUM
SIMBOLIS PRIVATIS OB MER: P.P.
Two identical inscriptions, one in Latin and another in English, were installed at the base of the monument during the 1884 restoration. The Latin inscription reads:[2]
MONVMENTVM HOC
COLLATIONE POPVLI
AEDIFICATVM
A.D. MDCCCX
PARIQVE MODO
RESTITVTVM
A.D. MDCCCLXXXIV
(meaning This monument, erected by public subscription A.D. 1810, was by the same means restored A.D. 1884)
- Maitland Monument, Corfu
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