Tritons fountain was on the verge of 'being lost' - minister

The Tritons Fountain would have been lost forever had restoration works not started immediately, Infrastructure Minister Joe Mizzi said today. “The fountain was in a lamentable state, and had been left dilapidated. The bronze figures were no longer safe and would have been lost had we not intervened,” he said. Addressing a press conference at the Tritons Fountain site, Mr Mizzi said the damage to the bronze figures had been greater than expected, and the restoration was proving to be more laborious than initially thought. The three figures, which hold up a large plate, are currently being restored in a foundry in Florence, Fonderia Artisica Fernando Marinelli, at a cost of €4million. They are expected to be completed next month, with the entire regeneration of the area outside City Gate earmarked for completion by the end of the year.  The City Gate Ditch, the pedestrianisation of the old bus terminus and the area around the RAF memorial known as Il-Biskuttin are all included in the project. Mr Mizzi said finding a company willing and able to restore the fountain had been the most challenging agreement to reach since he took office. “We kept finding people who were qualified...