[WATCH] Triton fountain gets its political master after 59 years

The Triton fountain inauguration

The Triton fountain was finished in 1959 but the monument remained without a politician's name attached to its inauguration, until today.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's name now adorns the plaque marking the completion of renovation works on the fountain.

The fountain was conceived under the Borg Olivier-Boffa administration before 1955 with works continuing under the Mintoff administration that came to an abrupt end in 1958. The fountain was completed in 1959 when Malta did not have a government of its own after the British colonial government suspended the constitution. By the time Malta got its government back in 1962, too much time had passed to bother with an official inauguration and it remained the only public structure without an inauguration plaque.

The Triton fountain gets its inauguration plaque after 59 years

The Triton fountain was restored to its former glory after an investment of €4.5 million. It now stands in the middle of a pedestrianised square that up to a few years ago served as a glorified roundabout for buses.

The fountain and square now present a fitting entrance to Valletta, which will officially take on the mantle of European Capital of Culture next week.