Palace Square has been dug up and the Sette Giugno monument has been removed from its pedestal as work on a €1 million regeneration project gets underway.
The project will see the historic square paved and pedestrianised. It will also feature a water installation with 14 water jets lit with multi-coloured lighting in the evenings. There will also be benches, modern lighting fixtures and wi-fi.
The project is earmarked for completion in mid-November, Resources Minister George Pullicino said during a tour of the site this morning.
In order to retain the square's function as a parade ground, fixtures will be removable. When a parade or concert takes place there, the fountain can be switched off and fixtures removed.
The Sette Giugno monument is to be incorporated in the project for the building of a new Parliament when a site for it is decided.