- Mosta
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Mosta
Il-Kunsill Lokali tal-Mosta— Local council — Il-Mosta 
Coat of armsMotto: Spes Alit Ruricolam 
Coordinates: 35°54′35″N 14°25′34″E / 35.90972°N 14.42611°ECoordinates: 35°54′35″N 14°25′34″E / 35.90972°N 14.42611°E Country 
MaltaIsland Malta District Borders Attard, Bidnija, Lija, Mġarr, Naxxar, Rabat, St. Paul's Bay Government – Mayor Paul Chetcuti Caruana (MLP) Area – Total 6.8 km2 (2.6 sq mi) Population (3rd largest locality) – Total 19,018 – Density 2,796.8/km2 (7,243.6/sq mi) Demonym Mosti (m), Mostija (f), Mostin (pl) Time zone CET (UTC+1) – Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2) Postal code MST Dialing code 356 Zones Beżbiżija, Blata l-Għolja, Folju, il-Ħanqa, Mosta Technopark, Mount Saint Joseph, San Ġużepp tat-Tarġa, San Pawl Eremita, San Pawl tal-Qlejgħa, San Silvestru, Santa Margerita, (Sgħajtar), L-Isperanza, Ta' Bistra, Ta' Maċedonja, Ta' Mlit, Ta' Redusa, Ta' Srajgu, Ta' Xkora, Ta' l-Awrora, Taċ-Ċawla, Tad-Daqqaq, Tad-Dib, Tal-Ħanżira, Tal-Qares, Tal-Wata, Tal-Wej, Tas-Sriedek, Tat-Torba, Taż-Żokrija, Tarġa Gap, Wied Ġjananu, Wied il-Għasel. Patron saint St. Mary Day of festa August 15 Website Official website Mosta (or Il-Mosta) is a town situated in the middle of the island of Malta, to the north-west of Valletta. It had a population of 19,018 people in 2010. Mosta celebrates the feast of Saint Mary the Assumption on the 15th August. This is a very popular feast among the Mostin and tourists alike. Mosta has many legends such as the Mosta Bride (L-Gharusa tal-Mosta) and a lot of historical places such as the Victoria Lines and Medieval chapels. Mosta has its own scouts and girl guides as well as two band clubs (Nicolo' Isouard and Santa Marija) and two fire works factories that make spectacular fire works. A lot of traffic passes through Constitution Street, one of Mosta's main streets which connects the South to the North. The main attraction in Mosta is the Rotunda - a huge round church with the third largest unsupported dome in the world.
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Rotunda of Mosta (Mosta Dome)
Main article: Rotunda of MostaMosta boasts the third largest unsupported dome in the World dedicated to the Assumption.[1] The Feast of the Assumption is held on August 15 and it is a public holiday. The church is also known as the Rotunda of St Marija Assunta. On 9 April 1942, the church was nearly destroyed during World War 2. An Axis bomb pierced the dome of the church but failed to explode. The detonator was removed and a replica bomb is now displayed as a memorial.[2]
The Rotunda was designed by George Grognet de Vasse, a French citizen resident in Mosta. Mosta residents, at that time totalling not more than 1500, built the church. It took them 27 years to complete but the result is a tourist attraction of world standard. Grognet chose the type of stone by insisting on having one slab from each quarry operating in the Islands. He then proceeded to test their durability. In the end he chose a quarry in Mosta near to Ta' Vnezja, at the gate of an old military airfield. The stone of the Rotunda bathes in the sun and spectacularly has taken a yellow/orange/red colour.
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Mosta Dome
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Inside Mosta Dome
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Mosta seen from Mdina, showing Mosta Dome
The Cumbo Tower
The Cumbo Tower was the stronghold of Mosta in the Middle Ages. It is presently owned by the Contessa Preziosi, the daughter of the late Barone della Quleja.
General
Since Mosta is in the centre of Malta, it is within very easy reach of tourists. Most buses pass from Mosta on the way to Buġibba, Ċirkewwa or Mellieħa after having left from Valletta.
An interesting attraction in Mosta is the Speranza Chapel ('Speranza' meaning 'hope'), which is situated close to the Speranza Valley. It was built in the 18th century, between 1760 and 1761. A legend tied to this small Chapel recounts that during a Turkish invasion, a young girl and her sisters were taking care of their family's sheep. Whilst the sisters escaped, the little girl couldn't run very fast because she limped slightly. It is said that she hid in a cave (it is found under the Chapel, on its left side), and that she prayed to Our Lady, who immediately intervened and had a spider weave its web over the opening of the cave. When the Turkish invaders chasing her arrived, they didn't look for her in the cave because they thought the girl could not be hiding there because the web was intact.
In Mosta, one finds the historical farmhouse of the Marquis Mallia Tabone. The building is run by the Philanthropic Society ‘Talent Mosti’ in collaboration with the adjacent school's council. The farmhouse overlooking the valley of Wied il-Ghasel in Mosta was the property of the noble family of the Marquis Mallia Tabone and today houses various exhibitions which are held during the year. Exhibitions vary from paintings, photography, artisan work, hobbies, etc.
Literary evenings are held occasionally where famous Maltese writers are interviewed and topics of cultural interest are discussed. The organization is run by volunteers.
Mosta Main Roads
- Pjazza Rotunda (Rotunda Square)
- Triq C.Dimech (C.Dimech Street)
- Triq F.Napuljun Tagliaferro (F.Napolione Tagliaferro Street)
- Triq id-Dura (Dura Street)
- Triq il-Barrieri (Quarries Street)
- Triq il-Belt Valletta (Valletta Road)
- Triq il-Bistra (Bistra Road)
- Triq il-Fortizza tal-Mosta (Mosta Fort Street)
- Triq Grognet (Grognet Street)
- Triq Guzeppi Callus
- Triq il-Kbira (Main Street)
- Triq il-Kostituzzjoni (Constitution Street)
- Triq il-Kungress Ewkaristiku (Euacharistic Congress Street)
- Triq il-Midbaħ (Midbah Street)
- Triq il-Missjunarji Maltin (Maltese Missionaries Street)
- Triq il-Pont (Bridge Street)
- Triq l-Assemblea Nazzjonali (National Assembly Street)
- Triq l-Imsiebaħ (Partner Street)
- Triq l-Oratorju (Oratory Street)
- Triq Sant' Antnon Abbati (St Anthony Abbot Street)
- Triq Santa Margarita (Santa Margarita Road)
- Triq Tal-Bistra (Tal-Bistra Road)
- Triq Ponsonby (Ponsonby Street)
- Vjal il-Qalbiena Mostin (Mosta's Heros Street)
- Vjal l-Indipendenza (Independence Avenue)
- Vjal Millbrae (Millbrae Avenue)
- Triq L-Gharusa tal Mosta (Bride street)
Sister cities
Mosta has two sister cities. Millbrae, in California, USA, has been a sister city of Mosta since April 1996.[3] Ragusa, in Sicily, Italy, is also a sister city of Mosta.[4]
References
- ^ Borg, Victor (2002). Rough Guide to Malta and Gozo. Rough Guides. pp. 151–2. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=o1QO1Tk-FsMC&pg=PA151&dq=mosta+dome#v=onepage&q=mosta%20dome&f=false.
- ^ Castillo, Dennis (2006). The Maltese Cross: a strategic history of Malta. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 184. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=i5ns5LNtoiUC&pg=PA184&dq=mosta+dome#v=onepage&q=mosta%20dome&f=false.
- ^ Millbrae Sister Cities - Mosta millbraesistercities.org
- ^ (Italian) Comune di Ragusa: Comunicati Stampa ragusa.gov.it
External links
Categories:- Towns in Malta
- Local councils of Malta
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