If you’ve ever ridden, driven or walked down the main road of Floriana, St Anne’s Street, there’s a good chance you’re familiar with the iconic lion fountain found on the centre strip of the main road, that’s even marked as a historical landmark on Google Maps.

What’s less familiar is the positioning of this very same statue-and-fountain combo shown in a photo hailing all the way from 1861, recently shared on Facebook by Patrick Dagostino.

Several comments on the photo expressed confusion as the fountain seemed to be placed in a different spot back then, referencing Auberge de Castille in the background, with some enthusiasts trying to find more information on when this relocation took place.

Also known as the Vilhena Fountain, this Baroque fountain was installed in 1728 by Grand Master Antonio Manoel de Vilhena, and it was indeed relocated a few metres from its original location in the 1950s, almost a century after the photo in question was taken.

Far from being simply an aesthetic addition to Floriana, for many years, it was the only source of water for the area's inhabitants, receiving its supply from the Wignacourt Aqueduct.

While it serves a more decorative purpose today, the Vilhena Fountain remains one of Floriana’s important landmarks, even making its way onto a Maltese postage stamp in 2013!

Can you recognise the fountain’s previous position in the old photo?