War Monument
The monument commemorating the fallen in times of war is known as Il-Monument lill-Qalbiena Mostin (The Monument to the Brave Mostin). It comprises the names of all the known Mosta victims of the conflict during the French occupation (1798-1800), the First World War (1914-1918) and the Second World War (1940 -1945). This monument is found at the very entrance to Mosta. It is the work of Mosta sculptor Ġanni Bonnici, and depicts a woman representing ‘Mosta’ holding a dead ‘son’ with a ruined building under their feet.
World War Two Pillbox at San Ġużepp tat-Tarġa
One of the pillboxes that were erected to guard the route from Burmarrad to Mosta still exists today, but it now serves as a bus shelter. Built on the Victoria Lines during the Second World War, it commanded all the area north of the Great Fault. It is an experience going into this pillbox and looking onto the northern areas of Malta from where a potential Axis invasion could be expected.
Second World War Shelter
During World War Two shelters needed to be constructed for protection from air raids. These were dug in the solid rock and thus the work was quite hard and time consuming. The work on the shelter near the Rotunda parvis started in 1940 and was opened for use in 1941 after five months of digging. It was excavated by 15 skilled workers who worked in day and night shifts. It is 75 meters long and runs for 7 meters under the main square. Its design consists of simple interconnecting corridors, with multiple entrances/exits and a few cubicles. One of these was covered in tiles so as to keep it as clean as possible as it was used in cases when a woman needed to give birth during an air raid. Some Mostin used to take shelter in the parish church and in the crypt before enough shelters were available.
Mosta Local Council