Tritons' Fountain

The fountain consists of three bronze figures of mythological Tritons holding up a huge circular basin measuring 5m in diameter and weighing approximately 3tons. Two of the Tritons are sitting, while the third one is kneeling, and they are balanced on a seaweed base. The face of each Triton is visible when viewed from City Gate. Their posture gives a sense of strength as well as spiral movement, which contribute to the monumentality of the fountain. The water jets were also designed in order to convey the sense of movement. The figures of the Tritons represent Malta's links with the sea, and their design was inspired by the Fontana delle Tartarughe in Rome. After the fountain's platter was damaged in the 1980s, a bronze pillar depicting a flight of seagulls was added to the fountain to support its weight. This was not included once the restoration was completed in 2018. (pictured in the 1900s), which was demolished in 1964 The base of the fountain was originally designed with a quadripartite plan inspired by Rome's Fontana delle Naiadi, but this was later changed to a tripartite concentric plan. The base is constructed out of reinforced concrete, and it consists of four concentric water basins. The exterior is clad with a total of 730 tons of travertine slabs from Rome. The outer slabs of the vasca intermedia are decorated with a relief representing foliage. Beneath the structure of the fountain, there are a series of passages and chambers which allow for maintenance and inspection and connect the fountain to the water and electrical services. These underground passages and a pump room cover an area of over , and are accessible through a manhole in the pavement near the fountain. The fountain was designed so as to avoid contrast with the nearby bastions, as well as to blend with the Victorian-era Kingsgate. The gate was demolished five years after the fountain was completed. ==Background and construction==

The site of the fountain was formerly occupied by St. Madeleine's Lunette, a 17th-century lunette that protected the entrance to Valletta. The lunette was dismantled and its ditch was filled in with rubble in the 19th century, although some parts might have survived beneath the present street level. The area was eventually used as a bus terminus, and in January 1953 the Ministry for Public Works and Reconstruction launched a competition for designing a fountain in this empty space. The competition was open to everyone except for those who worked at the Public Works Department, and the first prize was of £100. ==Damage and repair==

In the decades after its construction, the fountain became a landmark due to its prominent location in Malta's main bus terminus. It was used for various events, including the Republic Day national festivities which were televised on the programme Mill-Maltin għall-Maltin. A platform was built on the fountain's sculptural group to house entertainment acts which included concerts as well as motorcycles climbing on the bronze basin over specially-constructed ramps. This greatly weakened the structure, and together with natural deterioration, it resulted in the tank mounted inside the basin failing to limit the water supported inside. This caused an excessive amount of water to remain in the platter, which strained the bronze Triton figures supporting it. One of the Tritons' arms broke on 1 March 1978, and the platter collapsed resulting in significant damage to two of the three Tritons. Over time, further deterioration to the sculpture occurred, including corrosion and cracks in the figures. The travertine slabs in the fountain's base also sustained substantial damage and staining over the years. ==Proposed relocation==

, where the Triton Fountain would have been relocated according to the 2011 proposal In 2011, works began on a project by Renzo Piano to redesign the entrance of Valletta. This project included rebuilding the City Gate and landscaping the surrounding area, and Piano recommended that the Triton Fountain be shifted some distance away from its location immediately outside Valletta's entrance. The proposed relocation was announced by the Ministry for Infrastructure, Transport and Communications in April 2011, and it was meant to create an open space and restore "the architectural and historical context of the entrance to the fortified city". The approach to the City Gate would be flanked by trees and only accessible to pedestrians, while the fountain was to be restored and shifted to the garden opposite the Hotel Phoenicia, close to the Malta Memorial and the MCP car park. This would have moved the fountain from the limits of Valletta to Floriana. The proposed relocation was controversial, and although some welcomed the proposal, most people were against moving the landmark fountain. In December 2011, Minister Austin Gatt announced that the fountain will not be moved, and after restoration it will serve as the centerpiece of Piano's redesigned entrance to Valletta. The fountain was scheduled as a Grade 1 property by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority on 8 May 2012, as one of the "20th Century Modernist Architecture and Monuments in Valletta and Floriana". On 28 December of the same year, it was included on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands. ==Restoration==

Restoring the fountain to its lost original splendour (without the central sculpture) had rarely or better never been considered since the fountain was in such a dilapidated state that to most, (politicians included) it had very few limited merits. To make matters worse, established conservation ethics dictated black on white that an artefact's history is part and parcel of the artefact and should not be erased. Apart from Kenneth Cauchi who is a warranted and qualified bronze conservator and who was working behind the scenes, Robert Cassar the Curator of the Palace Armoury and a warranted and qualified bronze conservator was the only official to publicly express his professional views to stop the proposed the unwarranted fracas. The general perspective of most was that it was a flea ridden pit in a God forsaken place. Furthermore being dead centre in the middle of a disorganised bus terminus made it even more shabby. The aforementioned plans to relocate the fountain manifested this fact outrightly, however it was clear that the fountain super and sub-structure would never survive the move. Plans to restore the fountain were first made during the 2011 relocation proposal. After it was announced that the fountain will remain in its original location, it was mentioned that €2 million would be allocated to restore it, removing the alterations done in the 1980s. However, nothing materialized initially and the Ministry only began the process to restore the fountain in October 2015. until the Ministry signed a contract with Sea Fountain One on 12 January 2017 to restore the fountain to its original state by the end of the year. Restoration work, is to cost about €4 million since the damage was worse than expected. The Triton figures began to be dismantled on 4 February 2017, == Formal inauguration==

The restored fountain was finally (59 years late) officially inaugurated on 12 January 2018, by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. The works were completed a week ahead of Valletta taking its position as European Capital of Culture 2018. It was stated that the restoration cost amounted to €4.5 million. The maintenance of the fountain has always been the remit and jurisdiction of the Public Works Department (PWD) under the Director General Architect Stephen Bonello and through its specialized Manufacturing and Servicing Department (MSD) and its Director Ing. Ray Caruana. Keeping it in perfect it condition has been the hallmark of all Permanent Secretaries succeeding Mr. Cutajar namely being Mr. Johan Galea and Mr. Joseph Caruana. ==Legacy==

To commemorate the 5th Anniversary from the Triton Fountain formal inauguration, Minister Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi through his Permanent Secretary Carlos Tabone was instrumental to collaborate with MaltaPost to issue a number of commemorative stamps on Monday 11 December 2023. The event coincided with the appointment of Mr. Kenneth Cauchi as the first official Curator of the Triton Fountain. By prior appointment with the Public Works Department through the Triton Fountain Curator, the 500 square metre plus underground complex of the fountain is open for a limited number of visitors, students and specific groups (Terms & Conditions apply). Such is the legacy that is being promoted now that the Triton Fountain has been reinstated as one of the most prominent European landmarks and a centre of applied excellence serving both as a cultural heritage attraction and a manifest of a well-maintained electro-mechanical hydraulic plant. ==References==