Republic Street monuments

Valletta Council deserves praise for taking the initiative to erect a monument to the great benefactor of our capital city Pope Pius V on Great Siege Square, corner with Republic Street.

Nevertheless, I wonder if the council had considered placing the historic bronze bust on a much lower and possibly not a free-standing base. This would have made it easier for people to view the finely modelled figure more closely while leaving the floor space on that part of the square intact.

One can also note that unfortunately a number of bronze relief letters are already missing from the base. A safer alternative should have been to have the inscription carved into the marble.

I have always thought the 'monument' on the other side of the street adjacent to the Law Courts, which commemorates the paving of the street by a previous Labour government, inappropriate.

The massive red granite protruding from the ground is unnecessary. The plaque, a small, inscribed metal plate, fixed to the granite boulder may be fixed neatly on a wall in the street. What if we had to have more such alien 'monuments' commemorating each and every newly paved street or pavement in Valletta in future?