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The Gower Monument is a grade II* listed monument in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. Erected in 1888, the monument's centrepiece is a seated bronze sculpture of the playwrite and poet William Shakespeare. The monument is flanked by four detached bronze statues on plinths representing popular characters from Shakespeare's plays; Prince Hal, Lady Macbeth, Hamlet, and Falstaff.

Design

The monument was designed and constructed in Paris over a 12 year period between 1876-1888 by Lord Ronald Gower, Luca Madrassi, Raux & Marley, and the House of De Cauville & Perzinku. The stone portions of the structure compise of a mixture of Yorkstone and Bath stone. The sculptures and fittings on the monument are made of bronze.

History

Following its completion in 1888, the monument was originally erected in the gardens behind what was then the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre (now the Swan Theatre).