Statue of António Manoel de Vilhena

Commissioned in 1734 by the knight Felician de Savasse, it was sculpted by Pietro Paolo Troisi and cast by Aloisio Bouchut.

The statue is attributed to Pietro Paolo Troisi, who might have been appointed as Master of the Mint by Vilhena in 1736 in recognition of his work.

In 1775, Bouchut's widow was eventually granted 800 scudi as compensation, which were paid for by the Manoel Foundation on the orders of Grand Master Francisco Ximénez de Tejada.

[3] The relocation was carried out at the initiative of Governor John Le Marchant who wanted to place the statue in a prominent public space.

[5] Two commemorative bronze medals which are believed to have been presented by Soldani Benzi to Vilhena were discovered in the statue's base during the relocation.

[2] The bronze statue is regarded as a masterpiece of Baroque sculpture, and it is a life-sized depiction of Grand Master Vilhena in full regalia.

The Vilhena statue at the parade ground of Fort Manoel , where it stood from 1736 to 1858, in an 1856 photograph by James Robertson
The Vilhena statue at Piazza Tesoreria in Valletta , where it stood from 1858 to 1891, in a c. 1865 photograph by Giorgio Sommer
The Vilhena statue at the entrance to the Mall gardens in Floriana , where it stood from 1891 to 1989 (except for a brief period during World War II ), in a c. 1920 photograph
The monument and its pedestal in its present location, photographed in 2013
Coat of arms of Valletta
Coat of arms of Valletta