Project Description
The main fortifications of Valletta were separated by a deep ditch, and Porta Reale was covered by a Piazza d’Armi and a ravelin. During the 17th century, Valletta’s fortifications were strengthened with the construction of f four counterguards along the landfront, as well as by St. Magdalene’s Ravelin, with a small ditch separated the ravelin and the bonnet on its front. The road leading to Porta Reale passed through a sally port under the glacis and covertway, around the ravelin, through a caponier, onto the Piazza d’Armi and finally across the bridge into the city.
Various alterations and additions were made to the fortifications of Valletta during British rule, including the addition of batteries and gun emplacements. Late in the 19th century, the St. Magdalene’s Ravelin and all of its connected fortifications were cleared, its shallow ditch filled in with the rubble, and the area levelled to a gentle slope running towards Porta Reale.
The new open space served to give a better view when approaching the capital city and part of it was first used as a terminus for the horse drawn omnibus and karozzini. Between 1905 and 1929, the tram system was introduced in Malta. Also in 1905, the first buses were imported. The area outside Porta Reale passed though a number of stages along with the mode of transport, but eventually the route bus won the race.
A series of refurbishments were made to the square and eventually converted as a bus terminus. The jewel of the square was the famous Triton Fountain, which was originally completed in May 1959. This majestic fountain gave the square a different perspective, and which was the first, largest and only kind of an aquatic monument on the island. Part of the embellishment included commuter shelters of glass bricks and ticket booths, which ended converted to kiosks.
The situation with the old busses, the system and the location called for action to remove the chaotic and dangerous bus terminus, reduce pollution and upgrade the square into a fully pedestrian open space befitting the entrance to the island’s capital city. The busses were relocated to a new terminus in St. James’ Ditch.
This regeneration project was spearheaded by the Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation GHRC, and around 10,000 square metres of new paving, planting of 52 trees, street furniture, 21 water reservoirs with a capacity of 900 cubic meters of water, 14 new kiosks and the preservation of any original Valletta fortifications. Due to damage sustained in the past, the Triton Fountain was to be dismantled, restored and re-erected in its original form. During close to two years of work which included archaeological monitoring, remains of the old fortifications were discovered and were restored and preserved under 32mm thick laminated glass walkways.
The new and popular Triton Square was officially inaugurated in January 2018.
Pjazza Tritoni
Il-fortifikazzjonijiet ewlenin tal-Belt Valletta kienu separati minn foss fond, u quddiem Porta Reale kien hemm il-Piazza d’Armi u ravelin. Matul is-seklu 17, is-swar tal-Belt Valletta ġew imsaħħa bil-bini ta’ erba’ kontrogwardji tul il-faċċata kif ukoll mir-ravellin ta’ Santa Maddalena, b-foss żgħir jifred ir-ravelin u l-bonnet fuq quddiem tagħhom. It-triq li twassal għal Porta Reale għaddiet minn mina moħbija taħt il-glacis u madwar ir-ravelin, permezz ta’ caponier, għal fuq il-Piazza d’Armi u finalment jaqsam il-pont għal-Belt.
Matul il-ħakma Brittanika saru diversi alterazzjonijiet u żidiet fis-swar tal-Belt Valletta, inkluż iż-żieda ta’ batteriji u postijiet għal -kanuni. Tard fis-seklu 19, ir-ravellin ta’ Santa Maddalena u s-swar kollha konnessi ġew imwaqqa, il-foss baxx mimli bit-terrapien, u ż-żona twittiet f’pjanura quddiem Porta Reale.
L-ispazju miftuħ il-ġdid serva biex jagħti ħarsa aħjar meta toqrob lejn il-belt kapitali u partijiet minnha l-ewwel ma ntużat kien bħala terminus għall-omnibus u karozzini, , miġbuda taż-żwiemel. Bejn l-1905 u l-1929, is-sistema tat-tramm ġiet introdotta f’Malta u fl-1905 l-ewwel karozzi tal-linja ġew importati. Iż-żona barra Porta Reale għaddiet minn numru ta’ stadji pass pass mal-mod tat-trasport, iżda eventwalment il-karozzi tal-linja rebħu t-tellieqa.
Saru sensiela ta’ tibdiliet fil-pjazza u eventwalment inbidlet bħala bus terminus. Il-ġojjell tal-pjazza kienet il-famuża Funtana tat-Tritoni, li oriġinarjament tlestiet f’Mejju 1959. Din il-funtana majestuża tat perspettiva differenti lill-pjazza, u li kienet l-ewwel, l-akbar u l-uniku tip ta’ monument akkwatiku fil-gżira. Parti mit-tisbiħ kien jinkludi kenn imsaqqaf għall-vjaġġaturi mibnija minn blokki tal-ħġieġ u kabini tal-biljetti, li spiċċaw konvertiti f’gabbani.
Is-sitwazzjoni bil-karozzi tal-linja, is-sistema u l-post talbu azzjoni biex jitneħħa t-terminus kaotiku u perikoluż, jitnaqqas it-tniġġis u tittejjeb il-pjazza fi spazju miftuħ għal kollox pedonali li jixraq id-daħla tal-belt kapitali ta’ Malta. Il-karozzi tal-linja ġew rilokati f’terminus ġdid fil-Foss ta’ San Ġakbu.
Dan il-proġett kien twettaq mill-Korporazzjoni għar-Riġenerazzjoni tal-Port il-Kbir (GHRC), u jinkludi 21 ġibjun tal-ilma b’kapaċità ta’ 900 metru kubu ilma, pavimentar ġdid, it-tħawwil ta’ 52 siġra, għamara tat-toroq, 14-il gabbana ġdida u l-preservazzjoni ta’ l-fortifikazzjonijiet oriġinali tal-Belt Valletta. Minħabba ħsarat li ġarrbet fil-passat, il-Funtana tat-Tritoni kellha tiġi żarmata, restawrata u mwaqqfa mill-ġdid fil-forma oriġinali tagħha. Matul is-sentejn ta’ xogħol, sar monitoraġġ arkeoloġiku u ġew skoperti fdalijiet tal-fortifikazzjonijiet l-antik li ġew restawrati u ppreservati taħt passaġġi tal-ħġieġ laminat ta’ ħxuna ta’ 32mm, mal-10,000 metru kwadru ta’ pavimentar użat biex tinkesha l-pjazza kollha.
Pjazza Tritoni, kif giet imsejjha, kienet inawgurata f’Jannar tal-2018.
