Ponsonby's Column, British memorial column in Valletta, Malta.
Ponsonby's Column is a British memorial in Valletta that featured a large stone base once supporting a 23-meter Doric column topped with an ornamental urn. The plinth remains standing today with visible scars from World War II shrapnel.
The column was erected in 1838 to honor Governor Frederick Cavendish Ponsonby but was damaged by lightning in 1864 that destroyed its upper portion. After this event, only the base remained and has shaped the landscape since then.
The memorial shows Neo-Classical design that arrived in Malta during British rule in the early 1800s. This architectural style shaped how Valletta looked and reflected the tastes of that era.
The memorial sits near Hastings Gardens on St. Michael's Bastion and is easy to reach. Visitors can examine the base from different angles and study its structure closely.
Bank of Valletta funded the restoration of this national monument in 2013 and preserved its historical features for future generations. This restoration work made the damaged memorial recognizable and accessible to the public again.
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