Recently we were regaled by TVM with beautiful images of the statues of Maltese patriots, historians, statesmen, philanthropists and artists lining The Mall in Floriana. These monuments, mostly by famous Maltese sculptors such as the Sciortino brothers, Vincent Apap and others deserve to be better protected as part of our patrimony for future generations.

Most European countries have removed such monuments from public places and placed them in museums, replacing them with an exact replica. A case in point is the statue of David by the great Michelangelo in Piazza della Signoria in Florence. This priceless statue, a masterpiece of the Renaissance, was moved to the Galleria dell’Accademia in 1873.

In Malta about 25 years ago, the original statue of Les Gavroches by Antonio Sciortino at the Upper Barrakka was moved to the Museum of Fine Arts and replaced by a replica. I suggest the same treatment for the statues at The Mall. They could be replaced by replicas and the originals can be admired at our new Museum of Fine Arts.