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The Maitland Monument, also known as the Maitland Rotunda or the Peristyle of Maitland ( gr, Περιστύλιο του Μαίτλαντ), is a neoclassical monument located at the end of Spianada Square in Corfu. It was built in 1821 to honour Sir Thomas Maitland, a British military officer who was the last Civil Commissioner and first Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands.
Maitland arrived in Corfu on 16 February 1816, and eight months later, on 25 October 1816, forty-six noble Corfiots made a proposal for the construction of a
The Maitland Monument, also known as the Maitland Rotunda or the Peristyle of Maitland ( gr, Περιστύλιο του Μαίτλαντ), is a neoclassical monument located at the end of Spianada Square in Corfu. It was built in 1821 to honour Sir Thomas Maitland, a British military officer who was the last Civil Commissioner and first Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands.
Maitland arrived in Corfu on 16 February 1816, and eight months later, on 25 October 1816, forty-six noble Corfiots made a proposal for the construction of a triumphal arch
A triumphal arch is a free-standing monumental structure in the shape of an archway with one or more arched passageways, often designed to span a road. In its simplest form a triumphal arch consists of two massive piers connected by an arch, cro ...
in his honour. The monument was eventually constructed in 1821 in a completely different form of a rotunda with twenty Ionic columns. It was designed by Colonel George Whitmore of the Royal Engineers.
Like the Palace of St. Michael and St. George
The Palace of St. Michael and St. George ( gr, Ανάκτορο των Αγίων Μιχαήλ και Γεωργίου) is a palace in Corfu City on the island of Corfu, Greece. Commissioned by Sir Thomas Maitland, it originally served as th ...
, the structure was built out of limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
imported from 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 ...
, which was a British colony at the time. Maitland had simultaneously held the positions of Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands and Governor of Malta
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
. The sculptural work was done by the local sculptor Pavlos Prosalentis
Pavlos Prosalentis (Greek: Παύλος Προσαλέντης; 28 January 1784 in Corfu – 1 February 1837 in Corfu) was the first professional sculptor in modern Greece.
.
The monument is also known as the Cistern ( gr, Στέρνα), since it is built on top of a Venetian-era underground water cistern which had been built in 1781. The two entrances of the monument allowed access to the water tank.
The top of the monument contains the following circular inscription:
The Maitland Monument is visible in the 1981 Bond film '' For Your Eyes Only''.
The monument was damaged due to erosion over the years, and it was restored in 2004.
See also
*Monument to Sir Alexander Ball
The Monument to Sir Alexander Ball ( mt, 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 fir ...
, Malta
References
External links
{{Authority control Buildings and structures in Corfu (city) Monuments and memorials in Greece Neoclassical architecture in Greece Rotundas in Europe Limestone buildings Buildings and structures completed in 1821 1821 establishments in Greece