Tribute to Mosta

I want to thank the local council of Mosta for the initiative taken to publish a book about the history of Mosta - Il-Mosta, il-Mostin u r-Rotunda taghhom matul iz-Zminijiet. Furthermore I would like to thank George Cassar, a prolific writer and scholar and Joseph G.M. Borg, an expert on the Rotunda for their contributions that make this book a jewel in local history.

This book was conceived in commemoration of 400 years since Mosta became a parish in 1608. The first part of the book is a much needed revision of L-Istorja tal-Mosta written by E.B. Vella, first published in 1930 and reprinted with several additions in 1972 and subsequently in 1986. This book was the first in its kind in Mosta since it took a holistic approach to history of the village, from its prehistory down to the period of the Knights of St John and the early 20th Century.

Dr Cassar took to task the revision of this book. Although he remained faithful in parts to the original text, several additions had to be made in order to bring this book up to today's standards.

The book is very flowing and rich in detail. The second part of the book was written by Mr Borg who for many years has written on our beloved church. He takes us for a tour around the church and one notices the systematic detail in which he explains every part of it. What struck me further is the fact that the book is richly illustrated with photos of every aspect of life in Mosta most of which were never published before.

Once more I would like to thank the local council that kept the price of this book down to just Lm5, to encourage adults and children alike to learn about the history of their village. This scholarly work is a must read for those who want to learn about Mosta. I would like to suggest that in the future this book should be translated into English so as to receive a wider audience for the tourists that visit Mosta and especially for the emigrants that nowadays live beyond our shores.

This book is a tribute to Mosta and its forefathers who made Mosta the great town it is today.