Marble Hall History

The appropriately named Marble Hall is lined by magnificent columns of Sienna marble mounted in bronze. Bronze also is used for the light fittings, which are supplemented by modern spotlights, reflecting the polished marble floor. Delicately stained glass windows and ornate mouldings of mermaids and seashells enhance this beautiful interior. Items from the City Hall art collection are on display, and the Marble Hall is the setting for the series of statues of ‘Heroes of Wales’. These statues, carved from Serraveza marble, were unveiled in 1916, and were the gift of Lord Rhondda. Suggestions for the subjects were invited from all over Wales, and each statue is the work of a different sculptor. It was a twentieth century hero, David Lloyd George, then secretary of State for War, who unveiled the statues. A painting of the ceremony is displayed in the Hall.