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°ECoordinates: 35°54′35″N 14°25′34″E / 35.90972°N 14.42611°E

Malta

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. Mosta celebrates the feast of the Assumption every 15 August, popular among both the locals and the tourists. The town has many legends such as the Mosta Bride (L-Għarusa 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 fireworks factories. 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.

Mosta boasts the third largest unsupported dome in the World dedicated to the Assumption. 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.

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. 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 Cumbo Tower was the stronghold of Mosta in the Middle Ages. It is now owned by the Contessa Preziosi, the daughter of the late Barone della Quleja.

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 or Mellieħa in the North after having left from Valletta.

...
Wikipedia