TRAFALGAR SQUARE
Trafalgar Square stands in the heart of London. The square commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar, fought in 1805 off a Spanish cape near the city of Cadiz, between British forces led by Admiral Nelson and Napoleon's imperial fleet. Admiral Nelson distinguished himself by using new tactics that revolutionized naval combat. To celebrate this historic event, the square was built between 1829 and 1841 by architect John Nash, who sadly died before the work was completed. The square is regularly used for sporting and political gatherings. Statues of George IV, Henry Havelock and Sir Charles James, as well as superb bronze lions, can be admired in all four corners of the square. Don't miss the famous Nelson column, which dominates the square. Although the fourth plinth has remained empty for many years, it has recently been used by a number of artists. The latest commission is Yinka Shonibare's Nelson's Ship in a Bottle, inaugurated in May 2010 and depicting the admiral's warship in a bottle. Day and night, Trafalgar Square is never empty, as it's where most of the night buses converge, and thus many of the city's night owls. It's also where Londoners and tourists used to feed their pigeons, until Ken Livingstone passed a law banning the practice. Don't joke - you could be fined!
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