A Nationalist government would not allow the monti to set up in Ordnance Street Valletta or anywhere near the Piano project, party leader Simon Busuttil said today.

He told Times of Malta "For me, culture always wins over mediocrity. Therefore, under my watch, Valletta Monti will not stay where it's an eyesore to the Renzo Piano project."

His comments follow a decision to place monti stalls between the new parliament building and the open-air theatre as “shameful”.

The decision has been criticised nationally and was described as “shameful” by Renzo Piano’s lead architect.

“What can I say? It’s a shame, I am crying,” an exasperated Antonio Belvedere told Times of Malta from Mr Piano’s headquarters in Paris. “It’s like making a cake and then spitting on it. It’s not an elegant metaphor, I apologise for it, but that is what it is,” he said.

His words came as Prime Minister Joseph Muscat stepped in to mitigate the situation after a wave of criticism at the ugly market stalls, which were made from a mixture of PVC, metal and painted wood, featuring eight-pointed crosses painted in red.

Dr Muscat said he did not like the design of the stalls. He assured that these would be changed but added that he “does not subscribe to concerns about the relocation site and believes the new site will instil life in the city”. 

Mr Belvedere insisted that placing the monti adjacent to the new parliament building would ruin an essential component of the project - open spaces.  “So, at the end of it, we’re saying that we cleared the site to make space for a flea market?  

A petition, Valletta deserves better, is being collected here.

More in Times of Malta and the e-paper on timesofmalta.com Premium.

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