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Piccadilly
takes it name from a 17th century frilly
collar called a picadil. A dressmaker grew
rich making them and built a house in the
vicinity.
For many years, Piccadilly Circus - at
the junction of five busy streets - has
been a famous London Landmark. At its heart
and backlit by colorful electric displays
is a bronze fountain topped by a figure
of a winged archer.
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The statue is popularly called EROS, the pagan god of love,
but it was in fact designed in the 19th century as a symbol
of Christian charity - a monument to Lord Shaftesbury, a philanthropist.
The famous statue of Eros in Piccadilly Circus is one of the
symbols of London. It was originally called the Shaftesbury
Monument, having been erected as a memorial to the philanthropist
Lord Shaftesbury.
The actual figure rises above a fountain, which is made in
bronze, but Eros is made out of aluminum, at that time a rare
and novel material.
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