Mosta

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article or section does not cite its references or sources.
Please help improve this article by introducing appropriate citations. (help, get involved!) This article has been tagged since November 2006.

Mosta (or Il-Mosta) is a town situated in the middle of the island of Malta, to the north-west of Valletta. It has a population of 18,676 people (Nov 2005).

Mosta boasts the third largest dome in the world ^{[citation needed]} dedicated to the Assumption. 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.

Rotunda Santa Marija Assunta

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.

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.

Inside the Mosta Church

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.

[edit] See also

Rotunda of Mosta

[edit] External links

Mosta Local Council Website

edit	Local Councils of Malta
Malta Island
Attard \| Balzan \| Birgu (Vittoriosa) \| Birkirkara \| Birżebbuġa \| Bormla (Cospicua) \| Dingli \| Fgura \| Floriana \| Gudja \| Gżira \| Għargħur \| Għaxaq \| Ħamrun \| Iklin \| Isla (Senglea) \| Kalkara \| Kirkop \| Lija \| Luqa \| Marsa \| Marsaskala \| Marsaxlokk \| Mdina \| Mellieħa \| Mġarr \| Mosta \| Mqabba \| Msida \| Mtarfa \| Naxxar \| Paola \| Pembroke \| Pietà \| Qormi \| Qrendi \| Rabat \| Safi \| San Ġiljan (St. Julian's) \| Santa Luċija \| San Pawl il-Baħar (St. Paul's Bay) \| San Ġwann \| Santa Venera \| Siġġiewi \| Sliema \| Swieqi \| Ta' Xbiex \| Tarxien \| Valletta \| Xgħajra \| Żabbar \| Żebbuġ \| Żejtun \| Żurrieq
Gozo Island
Fontana \| Għajnsielem \| Għarb \| Għasri \| Kerċem \| Munxar \| Nadur \| Qala \| Rabat (Victoria) \| San Lawrenz \| Sannat \| Xagħra \| Xewkija \| Żebbuġ