In 1565, the Ottoman Empire laid siege to the island of Malta. This battle represented the Turks’ last attempt to retake control of southern Europe, but ended in a victory for the European forces. In 1926 Malta commissioned Antonio Sciortino to create a monument to this battle. The three figures represent Faith, Fortitude (Valor) and Civilization.
Around the base of the statue are tributes for a more modern tragedy. In 2017 journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was assassinated by a car bomb. She wrote extensively about corruption in Malta, and her work was pivital in the uncovering of the Panama Papers. While her murderers have been brought to justice, many people in Malta feel that those involve corruption she uncovered have yet to be punished.
