Mosta

Mosta
Il-Mosta
Local council

View of Mosta

Flag
Coat of arms
Motto: Spes Alit Ruricolam
Coordinates: 35°54′35″N 14°25′34″E / 35.90972°N 14.42611°E / 35.90972; 14.42611Coordinates: 35°54′35″N 14°25′34″E / 35.90972°N 14.42611°E / 35.90972; 14.42611
Country  Malta
Region Northern Region
District Northern District
Borders Attard, Lija, Mġarr, Naxxar, Rabat, St. Paul's Bay
Government
 • Mayor Edwin Vassallo (PN)
Area
 • Total 6.8 km2 (2.6 sq mi)
Population (March 2014)
 • Total 20,241
 • Density 3,000/km2 (7,700/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Mosti (m), Mostija (f), Mostin (pl)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code MST
Dialing code 356
ISO 3166 code MT-32
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, Tal-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 Assumption of Mary
Day of festa 15 August
Website Official website

Mosta (Maltese: Il-Mosta) is a town in the Northern Region of Malta, to the north-west of Valletta. In 2014, it had an estimated population of 20,241.[1]

The most famous building in Mosta is the Rotunda, a large church with the third largest unsupported dome in the world. Mosta celebrates the feast of the Assumption every 15 August, popular among both the locals and the foreigners.

General

As Mosta is at the centre of Malta; buses pass through Mosta on the way to Buġibba, Burmarrad, St. Paul's Bay, Qawra, Xemxija, Ċirkewwa, Mellieħa and other places in the North.

The town has several legends such as the Mosta Bride (L-Għarusa tal-Mosta), and a number of historic places such as the Victoria Lines and medieval chapels.

Mosta has its own scouts and girl guides, two band clubs (Nicolo' Isouard and Santa Marija), and two fireworks factories. A lot of traffic passes through Constitution Street, one of Mosta's main streets, connecting the South to the North of Malta.

History

Pre-history

Mosta has been inhabited since pre-history. Dolmens at San Filep Valley, in the limits of Mosta, are primary evidence of this. Each dolmen has two rectangular standing stones and one other similar stone positioned horizontally above the other two.[2]

Speranza Chapel

An attraction in Mosta is the Speranza Chapel, which is situated at the Speranza Valley. It was built in the 18th century, between 1760 and 1761. A legend tied to the Chapel recounts that, during a Turkish invasion, a young girl and her sisters were taking care of their family's sheep were at rist to be taken by the invaders. While the sisters escaped, the young girl couldn not run fast enough because she limped slightly. It is said that she hid in a cave (found under the Chapel, on its left side), and meanwhile she prayed to Mary, mother of Jesus, promising that if she saved her, she would build a chapel dedicated to Our Lady. 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 as there was an intact web at the entrance, which would have not been so if someone had went in.

Marquis Mallia Tabone Farmhouse

The Marquis Mallia Tabone Farmhouse is a historic farmhouse, run by the Talent Mosti philanthropy and in collaboration with the adjacent school's council. The farmhouse overlooks the valley of Wied il-Ghasel. It houses exhibitions varying from paintings, photography, artisan work, hobbies and a permanent folklore museum.[3][4]

Cumbo Tower

Cumbo Tower

The Cumbo Tower is a fortified residence in Mosta.[5]

St Marija Assunta Church

Mosta boasts the third largest unsupported dome in the World dedicated to the Assumption.[6] The Feast of the Assumption is held on 15 August 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 II. An Axis bomb hit the dome of the church but failed to explode. The detonator was removed and a replica bomb is now displayed as a memorial.[7]

Mosta Dome

The Rotunda was designed by Giorgio Grognet de Vassé, a French citizen resident in Mosta. Mosta residents, at that time totalling not more than 1500, built the church.[8] It took them 27 years to complete and resulted in a major attraction.[9]

Twin towns – sister cities

Mosta has two "sister cities"

References

  1. ↑ "Estimated Population by Locality 31st March, 2014". Government of Malta. 16 May 2014. Archived from the original on 21 June 2015.
  2. ↑ Morana, Martin (September 2011). Bejn kliem u storja: glossarju enċiklopediku dwar tradizzjonijiet - toponimi - termini storiċi Maltin (in Maltese). Malta: Best Print. pp. 57–58. ISBN 978-99957-0-137-6. OCLC 908059040. Archived from the original on 5 October 2016.
  3. ↑ http://www.talentmosti.com/home/
  4. ↑ http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130630/life-features/Mosta-philanthropic-society-is-30-years-young.476208
  5. ↑ "Cumbo Tower". The Times of Malta. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  6. ↑ Borg, Victor (2002). Rough Guide to Malta and Gozo. Rough Guides. pp. 151–2.
  7. ↑ Castillo, Dennis (2006). The Maltese Cross: a strategic history of Malta. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 184.
  8. ↑ "200-year-old History in an old musty archive". The Malta Independent. 11 March 2012. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  9. ↑ MacGill, Thomas (1839). A hand book, or guide, for strangers visiting Malta. Malta: Luigi Tonna. pp. 124–126.
  10. ↑ Millbrae Sister Cities – Mosta millbraesistercities.org
  11. ↑ (Italian) Comune di Ragusa: Comunicati Stampa ragusa.gov.it
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