This is one of the nerve-centres of London. It was named Trafalgar Square to commemorate thehistorical naval victory won on the 21st of October 1805 by the British fleet under the command ofHoratio Nelson over the combined French-Spanish fleet commanded by Villeneuve. The battle tookplace at Cape Trafalgar in the mouth of the Straits of Gibraltar and lasted several hours. Nelsonwas fatally wounded by a shot which broke his backbone. He died on board his flagship the Victory,but not before being told that he had won the battle.Nelson’s Column, with the statue of Admiral Lord Nelson on top, rises in the centre of TrafalgarSquare. This most impressive monument is 170 feet (about 52 m) tall. The statue of Nelson, placedfacing towards the sea he loved, measures 17 feet (more than 5 m) in height.To the north-east of Trafalgar Square there is the building that houses the National Gallery of Art —one of the most important Art Galleries in the world — and behind is the National Portrait Gallery.Quite often the square becomes the location for meetings and in it crowds of Londoners congregateto celebrate political rallies. So it can be said that Trafalgar Square is the heart from which the beatis emitted to all the Londoners.There are many pigeons in the square and Londoners like to feed them. Everybody knows that thedove is the symbol of peace all over the world.