The Mosta Rotunda or Mosta Dome, also known as St. Mary’s Church, is a Catholic church in Mosta, Malta. With a dome diameter of 37.2 meters, it is known as the church with the 3rd largest dome in Europe and the world.
Built by Maltese architect Giorgio Grognet de Vasse, the church has 9.1 meter wide walls to support the dome’s load. If you have ever visited the Pantheon in Rome, you will notice that the Mosta Dome is similar to the Pantheon plan.
Mosta Doma is a building that is highly valued by the local people. Because this building has a miraculous story. During an air raid on April 9, 1942 during World War II, a bomb weighing 500 kg fell from the dome of the building and luckily the bomb did not explode in the church where there were about 300 people. Therefore, both the people and the historical building were saved. The original bomb is today at the bottom of the sea, but a replica is on display inside the church.
Before going to Mosta Dome, you should time your visit well. Because it is not open at all hours like museums, you can visit it between 09:00 – 11:00, 15:00 – 17:00 every day except Sundays. You can reach Mosta Dome by taking buses numbered 31, 41, 42, 45, 47, 48 from Valletta and getting off at Rotunda 4 stop.
