In the early 19th century, during the British rule in Malta, a colonnaded exedra (semi-circular space) was erected at Lower Fort St Elmo. It was designed in the neo-Classical style and is attributed to Maltese architect Giorgio Pullicino.
In front of the exedra is a fountain consisting of a flower-shaped basin in the centre of which is a pedestal supporting a pyramidal arrangement of three large spherical cannon shot supporting another shot on top of them from which water poured into the basin.
Mepa scheduled the fountain and exedra as a Grade 1 national monument as per Government Notice No. 133/01 in the Government Gazette dated February 9, 2001.