The Malta Portal
Malta, officially known as the Republic of Malta, is a small island nation comprising an archipelago of seven islands (Malta, Gozo (Għawdex) Comino (Kemmuna) Filfla, Cominotto (Kemmunett) Manoel, Selmunett (St.Paul's Islands)) in the Mediterranean Sea. A country of Southern Europe, Malta lies south of Sicily, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The country's official languages are Maltese and English. Roman Catholicism is the most practised religion. The islands constituting the Maltese nation have been ruled by various powers and fought over by many states for centuries. Malta has been a member state of the European Union (EU) since 2004 and it is currently the smallest EU country both in population and in area.
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Near the main entrance one finds the monument of Grandmaster Fra Marc'Antonio Zondadari from Siena. He was the nephew of Pope Alexander VII. (more...) Selected LocalityBirgu (also called Il-Birgu or Vittoriosa) is a small city in Malta that played a vital role in the Great Siege of Malta in 1565. It is one of the three best-known cities on this small island nation. Its current population is of 2,691. The city was established in 1530 - 1535 on the Great Harbour of Malta around Fort St. Angelo, and served as Malta's principal harbour with Cospicua and Senglea. When the Knights of St. John arrived in 1530, they made Birgu the capital city of Malta, since the former capital, Mdina, was inland and did not suit their naval requirements. (more...) Selected Picture![]() Photo credit: Jean-Christophe Benoist
The Rotunda of St Marija Assunta 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 1930s. 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. Did you know
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