| Monument to Sir Alexander Ball | |
|---|---|
Il-Monument ta' Sir Alexander Ball | |
 The monument in 2016 | |
 Interactive map of the Monument to Sir Alexander Ball area | |
| General information | |
| Status | Intact |
| Type | Monument in the form of atemple |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical (Greek Revival) |
| Location | Lower Barrakka Gardens,Valletta,Malta |
| Coordinates | 35°53′50.9″N14°31′3.2″E / 35.897472°N 14.517556°E /35.897472; 14.517556 |
| Named for | SirAlexander Ball |
| Completed | 1810 |
| Renovated | 1884 (restoration) |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Limestone |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Giorgio Pullicino (attributed) |
| Renovating team | |
| Architects | Andrea Vassallo andEmanuele Luigi Galizia |
TheMonument to Sir Alexander Ball (Maltese:Il-Monument ta' Sir Alexander Ball) is aneoclassical monument in theLower Barrakka Gardens inValletta,Malta. It was built in 1810 as a memorial to SirAlexander Ball, a British admiral who was the firstCivil Commissioner of Malta. Attributed to the architectGiorgio Pullicino, the monument is in the form of anancient Greek temple.
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SirAlexander Ball was a British naval officer who was sent to Malta in 1798 to help theMaltese rebels in theblockade against the French. Ball became the firstCivil 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 theMaltese 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] TheLower Barrakka Gardens was chosen as the site to build the monument, since its location on thefortifications overlooking theGrand 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 architectGiorgio 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, CaptainE. H. Seymour formed a committee to restore it,[2] and it was restored the following year byAndrea Vassallo under the supervision ofEmanuele Luigi Galizia.[1] The restored monument was inaugurated by Governor SirLintorn 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 theGreek Revival style ofNeoclassical architecture. It is built in the form of anancient Greek temple with a solidnaos and aDorictetrastyle portico.[1] The design was inspired by theTemple of Hephaestus inAthens,[3] but the proportions are completely different since the monument is much smaller than the temple.[2] It is set on a highstylobate in order to make the structure more imposing. Each of the four walls of thenaos contains a niche containing allegorical statues representing War, Prudence, Justice and Immortality. These statues are the work of the sculptorVincenzo 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
(meaningThis monument, erected by public subscription A.D. 1810, was by the same means restored A.D. 1884)
Media related toMonument to Alexander Ball (Valletta) at Wikimedia Commons
