An upcoming upgrade to Castille Square will be providing greater prominence to the planned monument to former Prime Minister Dom Mintoff, although an Infrastructure Ministry spokesman said that the project also aims for better traffic management in the area.
The square already hosts two other monuments: A monument to political activist Manwel Dimech adorns the roundabout, surrounded by pine and palm trees, while a monument to former Prime Minister Paul Boffa lies next to the Our Lady of Victories Church.
According to plans published by columnist Daphne Caruana Galizia on her blog and confirmed by the ministry, the Mintoff statue will be placed in the flowerbed opposite the Auberge de Castille, above Lascaris Ditch.
But the square is set to be remodelled before the statue is unveiled later this year, in which Malta marks the 50th anniversary of its independence, the 40th anniversary of becoming a republic, the 35th anniversary of the departure of British forces and the 10th anniversary of EU accession.
The remodelling will ensure that the Mintoff statue – and the Manwel Dimech one – will be more prominent than the present state of the square would allow.
All the trees in the roundabout will be removed – although, as the ministry spokesman emphasises, they will be replanted elsewhere. The roundabout itself will be reduced in size.
The size reduction will allow the allocation of more space to the area that will be devoted to the Mintoff document, where a number of shrubs will also have to be relocated.
According to the plans, the soft landscaped areas will be turfed and embellished with flowers.
The development is considered to be minor, and as a result, no full permit needed to be submitted. A development notification has already been accepted by MEPA.
Two other monuments to Maltese statesmen – former presidents Censu Tabone and Guido de Marco – are also set to be installed this year. The Tabone monument will be placed in St Julians, where he lived for much of his life, while that of Dr de Marco will be placed in front of the Law Courts.