Kolonna Eterna ( en, Eternal Column), also known as the Millennium Monument, is a 21st-century monumental

column A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...

in San Gwann,

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

. The column is an abstract art designed by Paul Vella Critien, a

Maltese Maltese may refer to: * Someone or something of, from, or related to Malta * Maltese alphabet * Maltese cuisine * Maltese culture * Maltese language, the Semitic language spoken by Maltese people * Maltese people, people from Malta or of Malte ...

local artist that achieved his studies and experience in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. The monument is a commemoration of the new (third) millennium as part of an initiative by the San Gwann Local Council. The monument was inaugurated in 2003 by the

Prime Minister of Malta The prime minister of Malta ( mt, Prim Ministru ta' Malta) is the head of government, which is the highest official of Malta. The Prime Minister chairs Cabinet meetings, and selects its ministers to serve in their respective portfolios. The Pr ...

Dr Eddie Fenech Adami. The monument came to the national attention because it was largely described as having a phallic appearance. The monument is found in front of

Santa Margerita Chapel Santa Margerita Chapel (English: ''Saint Margaret Chapel''), also known as Arar Chapel, is a 16th century chapel in San Gwann, Malta. The chapel was built for the farmers working the surrounding fields. At the time, attacks from the sea were comm ...

History

The Kolonna Eterna was the first local monument by Paul Vella Critien to be installed in a public space and officiated on 27 February 2003."Paul Vella Critien"
Behind the project was the San Gwann Local Council which pushed the idea of decorating public gardens with the inclusion of well established local artists' art. Paul Vella Critien has received art education in

and had already experience as an artist career when he lived in

. Since its erection the monument had already caught the attention of the public because of its phallic appearance however it is intended to represent an

Egyptian obelisk An obelisk (; from grc, ὀβελίσκος ; diminutive of ''obelos'', " spit, nail, pointed pillar") is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape or pyramidion at the top. Originally constructed by Anc ...

pointing to the open skies as a symbol to eternity. Kolonna_Eterna_detail

The 6 meters

ceramic A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelain ...

structure was inaugurated by back then Prime Minister in Office Eddie Fenech Adami, later

President of Malta The president of Malta ( mt, President ta' Malta) is the constitutional head of state of Malta. The President is indirectly elected by the House of Representatives of Malta, which appoints the president for a five-year term and requires them to ...

. The monument had a public ceremony that was attended by the Prime Minister himself, the artist, the Local Mayor of San Gwann, local councillors, member of the Nationalist Party, distinct politicians, the general public and local media such as the

Times of Malta The ''Times of Malta'' is an English-language daily newspaper in Malta. Founded in 1935, by Lord and Lady Strickland and Lord Strickland's daughter Mabel, it is the oldest daily newspaper still in circulation in Malta. It has the widest circu ...

. Subsequent to the Kolonna Eterna, Paul Vella Critien was invited to create another Monument by the

Government of Malta A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...

under Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi. The different but similar phallic appearance is the Colonna Mediterranea in

Luqa Luqa ( mt, Ħal Luqa, , ) is a town located in the Southern Region of Malta, 4.3 km away from the capital Valletta. With a population of 5,945 as of March 2014, it is a small but densely populated settlement which is typical of Malta's old ...

, Malta. Different from Kolonna Eterna the Luqa Monument had no legal permits for its erection on place, had staunch opposition by the local mayor, it stands on the peripheries of Luqa and not under the responsibility of the local council and had local opposition specifically because of the visit of

Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...

to Malta where the

pope mobile The popemobile is a specially designed motor vehicle used by the pope of the Catholic Church during public appearances. It is usually considered the successor to the antiquated and was designed to allow the pope to be more visible when greeting l ...

had to pass by it. However the San Gwann general public has several artistic monument being erected in different places and the Kolonna Eterna largely integrated within the

landscape A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or man-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes the ...

of the area; even if so some local have called for its removal because of its phallic nature. Eventually in 2015 Paul Vella Critien had inaugurated another monument at

Naxxar Naxxar ( mt, In-Naxxar) is a small city in the Northern Region of Malta, with a population of 14,891 people as of March 2014. The Naxxar Church is dedicated to Our Lady of Victories. The annual village feast is celebrated on 8 September. Naxx ...

Higher Secondary School which had not similar

controversy Controversy is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of conflicting opinion or point of view. The word was coined from the Latin ''controversia'', as a composite of ''controversus'' – "turned in an opposite d ...

."Paul Vella Critien"
2015. Paul_Vella_Critien_Kolonna_Eterna

On the lower-back-side of Kolonna Eterna it is written:

Plaque

On the plaque uncovered by Eddie Fenech Adami it is written:

References

{{reflist San Ġwann Monuments and memorials in Malta Phallic monuments Buildings and structures completed in 2003 Roundabouts and traffic circles 2003 establishments in Malta Architectural controversies Monumental columns Phallic symbols Controversies in Malta Buildings and structures celebrating the third millennium

History

Plaque

See also

References