English: St. Anne's Gate, Floriana (Porta dei Cani); built ca. 1650, rebuilt 1859; demolished 1897

Dogs Arch (il-Mina tal-Klieb) at the front. This Arch took its name from the two dogs that were holding the Maltese Coat of arms sitting in front of the arch. Porta Di San Anna, is behind the Mina tal-Klieb, Floriana, Malta (info credit Raymond Mangion)

"For some unconfirmed reason this landmark was also known as Porta dei Cani although officially it was the Porta Principale of Floriana as marked in late 18th century maps. Indeed, it stood as the first focal point directing those entering from the hinterland into Piazza Sant’Anna with its Vilhena Fountain and then along through the arcaded Strada Sant’Anna towards Valletta beyond. In principle this was an almost identical arrangement to Porta Reale save there being more allowance for public open space (the piazza, fountain and loggias), as was the intended character for Floriana’s suburban role. The gate portrayed in old photographs is a British substitution designed by one Col. Crawley, Royal Engineers, built in 1859 at the start of John Gaspard Le Marchant’s governorship. This alteration came a few years after Lieut. Col. Thomson’s Porta Reale on which the new Floriana gate was so closely modelled. A finely carved British royal coat-of-arms was sculpted above the central arches. In 1897, Porta Sant’Anna was demolished, once again in a bid to improve transit to the capital. In time the gap in the curtain wall was widened further." Malta Independent