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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 18,429 people (Nov 2005). In fact a lot of traffic passes through Constitution Street, one of Mosta's main streets which connects the South to the North. 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 (15th August and Santa Marija) and two fire works factories that make spectacular fire works. The main attraction in Mosta is the Rotunda - a huge round church with the third largest unsupported dome in the world.

The Rotunda of St Marija Assunta (sometimes shortened to Mosta Dome) is in Mosta, Malta and was designed by George Grongnet.

Its dome is among the largest in the world, with a diameter of 37 meters (122ft). Grongnet's plans were closely based on the Pantheon in Rome The building started in May 1833 and was not finished until the 1860s. The original church was left in place while the Rotunda was built around it allowing the local people to still have a place of worship while the new church was built. On April 9, 1942, during an afternoon air-raid, a 200kg Luftwaffe bomb pierced the dome (two others bounced off) and fell among the congregation of more than 300 people, awaiting early evening mass. It did not explode. Its replica is now on display inside the Rotunda under the words Il-Miraklu Tal-Bomba, 9 Ta April 1942 (Maltese:The Bomb Miracle, April 9, 1942).

(Wikipedia)

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Additional Photos by Agnes Horvath (miumiu) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 627 W: 1 N: 242] (3866)
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