The Mosta Lion: Will It Return To Its Den Or Should It Be Replaced With An Obelisk?
A truly passionate Mosta resident has shared a history lesson about the until-very-recently-removed landmark lion statue which graced Mosta square.
However his aim is not just a tribute but to propose something different.
Mosta resident and local historian Raymond Cauchi composed an interesting essay on social media entitled “The Lion of the Square.”
“Once again, the lion was removed from its post, and this decision sparked a heated controversy as to whether it should be reinstated or placed in another prominent location. As always, opinions are divided.”
“Its significance, until today, remains unclear. We know for sure that it was placed in the square on a whim, which was a common practice at the time. The lion was often used as a decorative element at the time, adorning statues, fountains, benches, etc. It was also included as part of the base of some grand monuments.”
“The material was made of cast iron, and that leads us to believe that it was not placed there with intentions of be a monument because if it had been, it would have been made of bronze, as was often done at the time. This fact gives us a better understanding of what actually happened.”
“When Constitution Street was opened, during the time of Prime Minister Gerald Strickland (1927-1932), the lion, together with the fountain, was removed from the square, and the square remained without the lion for about 35 years.”
“There were two Mostin who knew that the lion of the square was located in a private garden. This was in the 1960s, before our country gained independence, and they came up with the idea to ask the owner of the garden to give back the lion and to create a fountain in the square with the lion on top. So it happened, and as a reminder of independence, a historic day for our country, on the pedestal where the lion was placed, the coat of arms of Mosta was engraved on one side, and the coat of arms of Independent Malta on the other. It was certainly a well-thought-out idea.”
“Now, due to the deterioration of the roof of the archway over time, the pedestal, along with the lion, needed to be relocated from its position to undergo necessary restoration. I commend the Mosta Local Council for recognising that the lion’s pedestal holds a monumental value and for successfully relocating the pedestal (the twelve-ton one) to another prominent location without causing damage. However, it is still a subject of discussion as to whether a better place can be found.”
“Now is the time for us Mostin to decide if we want to remove the lion from the square, which has no significant historical connection to Mosta, or if we want to create a glorious monument, in the form of an Obelisk, planned by Grognet himself, where, at its base, four busts of the four protagonists, Dun Felic Calleja, Dun Ganmari Schembri, George Grognet, and Anglu Gatt, would be placed, who, with their incredible energy, left us this priceless treasure, The Rotunda.”
“Incorporated with them, a special dedication that reminds us of our ancestors who, with so much sacrifice, determination, skill, and great courage, turned this dream into reality.”
Cauchi is basically asking whether the lion should be replaced by an obelisk at the foot of which would be a tribute to the people who gave us our beloved dome.
His argument is that the lion has no significant historical connection to Mosta but his essay actually contradicts his reasoning in my humble opinion. Food for thought indeed!
Would you agree to replacing the Mosta lion with a monument to the great Dome?
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