Queen Victoria, Memorial monument in Republic Square, Valletta, Malta
Queen Victoria is a marble statue in Republic Square, in the center of Valletta, Malta. She is shown wearing a traditional Maltese lace shawl, and the statue stands on a decorated stone pedestal facing the main facade of the National Library.
The sculptor Giuseppe Valente created this statue in 1891 to mark Queen Victoria's fifty years on the throne. At that time Malta was under British rule, and monuments like this one reflected the official ties between the island and the Crown.
The square where the statue stands is still often called Pjazza Regina by locals, which simply means Queen's Square in Maltese. This everyday name, used alongside the official one, shows how the British period left marks that go beyond stone and marble.
The statue stands in an open square with no entry requirement, and it is easy to find on foot from most points in Valletta's old center. The surrounding area has cafes and benches, so it works well as a stopping point during a walk through the city.
The statue was paid for entirely through public donations collected from ordinary residents across Malta, not from government funds. This detail sets it apart from most colonial monuments, which were typically commissioned and funded by official authorities.
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