Mosta Rotunda

The Rotunda (or Church of St. Mary) is a magnificent domed church in Mosta, central Malta.

Dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and built between the 1830s and 1860s, the Rotunda was designed by Maltese architect Giorgio de Vasse. In a rather revolutionary move, the church was built over and around the existing one, which was then demolished.

In 1942 during World War II, the church took a direct hit from a German bomb while more than 300 people were congregated inside for Mass. The bomb pierced the dome and fell to the ground with a bounce, but failed to explode.

The army took the bomb outside and diffused it, and no one was hurt. The event has become legendary, with many regarding it as a miracle. A replica of the 200kg bomb can be seen in the sacristy.

The massive dome of the Rotunda (40 meters in diameter) is claimed to be the third-largest church dome in Europe - superseded only by St Peter's Basilica in Rome and the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Its design is closely based on the dome of the Pantheon in Rome.