National Heroes Square (formerly Trafalgar Square) is located in the capital and principal commercial centre Bridgetown, on the island-nation of Barbados. The square lies along Upper Broad Street and is on the northern shore of the Careenage ("Constitution River"), found directly in the centre of Bridgetown.
A fixture of the Square on the west-end includes a bronze statue of Admiral Lord Nelson overlooking the Square. The statue in Bridgetown was erected unveiled on March 22. 1813 to commemorate the anniversary of the British Royal Navy's victory in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The local statue of Lord Nelson in Bridgetown was erected approximately 27 years before the more famous Nelson's Column which is located in London, England's Trafalgar Square. As a point of reference, Nelson has served as the decided upon centre of Bridgetown. During the colonial years many distances on the island from Bridgetown have historically been measured from the base of Nelson's statue.
The current name of National Heroes Square was adopted on 22 April 1999 and officially took effect on from 28th April, 1999.
In 2009 the David Thompson-Government opened up a proposal to rename the area as "Parliament Square". and to completely redevelop and reconfigure the Square's layout.
Famous quotes containing the words national, heroes and/or square:
“What do we mean by patriotism in the context of our times? I venture to suggest that what we mean is a sense of national responsibility ... a patriotism which is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.”
—Adlai Stevenson (1900–1965)
“The heroes and discoverers have found true more than was previously believed, only when they were expecting and dreaming of something more than their contemporaries dreamed of, or even themselves discovered, that is, when they were in a frame of mind fitted to behold the truth. Referred to the world’s standard, they are always insane. Even savages have indirectly surmised as much.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“After the planet becomes theirs, many millions of years will have to pass before a beetle particularly loved by God, at the end of its calculations will find written on a sheet of paper in letters of fire that energy is equal to the mass multiplied by the square of the velocity of light. The new kings of the world will live tranquilly for a long time, confining themselves to devouring each other and being parasites among each other on a cottage industry scale.”
—Primo Levi (1919–1987)