The Tritons, which have been gracing the entrance to Valletta for the past 58 years, left Malta today on a 1,300 journey to Florence for restoration.
The Tritons, which have been gracing the entrance to Valletta for the past 58 years, left Malta today on a 1,300 journey to Florence for restoration.
The Tritons and the plate above them, which together weigh more than 14 tons, were on Thursday hoisted in two trailers in preparation for their voyage on the Eurocargo Venezia, which will take them to Livorno.
From there, they will continue with their journey on land to arrive at the Fonderia Artistica Ferdinando Marinelli on Wednesday.
The restoration works should start immediately.
They will first be cleaned from the concrete that had been used to anchor them to the fountain just outside City Gate and the proper restoration work on the cracks in the bronze will then start.
The bronze parts will be cleaned both from the inside and the outside before the figures are stuck back together.
A steel structure is to be built inside each figure to take on the weight of the plate and avoid the damage from being repeated. They will then be covered in microcrystalline wax for protection and to seal the brass pores.