Cospicua ( mt, Bormla ), also known by its titles Città Cospicua or Civitas Cottonera, is a double-fortified harbour city in the South Eastern Region of

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

. Along with

Birgu Birgu ( mt, Il-Birgu , it, Vittoriosa), also known by its title Città Vittoriosa ("''Victorious City''"), is an old fortified city on the south side of the Grand Harbour in the South Eastern Region of Malta. The city occupies a promontory of ...

and

Senglea Senglea ( mt, L-Isla ), also known by its title Città Invicta (or Civitas Invicta), is a fortified city in the South Eastern Region of Malta. It is one of the Three Cities in the Grand Harbour area, the other two being Cospicua and Vittorios ...

, it is one of the

Three Cities The Three Cities ( mt, It-Tlett Ibliet) is a collective description of the three fortified cities of Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua in Malta. The oldest of the Three Cities is Vittoriosa, which has existed since prior to the Middle Ages. ...

, located within the

Grand Harbour The Grand Harbour ( mt, il-Port il-Kbir; it, Porto Grande), also known as the Port of Valletta, is a natural harbour on the island of Malta. It has been substantially modified over the years with extensive docks ( Malta Dockyard), wharves, a ...

to the east of the capital city

Valletta Valletta (, mt, il-Belt Valletta, ) is an administrative unit and capital of Malta. Located on the main island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east, its population within administrative limits in 2014 ...

. With a population of 5,395 as of March 2014, it is the most dense city of the Three Cities.

Etymology

The Maltese name "Bormla" or ''Burmula'' derives from ''Bir Mula'' that means '' hewell of the Lord''.

History

Cospicua has been inhabited since

Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several pa ...

times. Its maritime facilities started during ancient times around the Phoenician era c. 600 BC. Prior to the 18th century it was known as Bormla, a name which is still in use. Its fortification walls, constructed to protect the town and its neighbours

and

Isla Isla or ISLA may refer to: Organizations * International Securities Lending Association, a trade association * International School of Los Angeles * International Bilingual School, later named International School of Los Angeles People * Isla ...

, were built by the Order of Saint John. Construction began in 1638 but was not completed for another 70 years. In 1722, Grand Master

Marc'Antonio Zondadari Fra' Marc'Antonio Zondadari (1658 − 16 June 1722), from Siena, was the 65th Prince and Grand Master of the Order of Malta, from 1720, after the death of Fra Ramon Perellos y Roccaful, till his own death in 1722. From 1702 onwards Zondadari ...

declared Bormla a city and in view of its strong bastions named it Città Cospicua. In 1776, the Order of St. John started to construct a dockyard, which was to play a vital role in the development of this city. During British rule in Malta, the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...

made extensive use of the dockyard, particularly during the

Crimean War The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia. Geopolitical causes of the war included the ...

, the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

and during the years preceding the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. Cospicua, along with the rest of the area around the

, was heavily bombed during this last war as Malta was under siege by the

Axis powers The Axis powers, ; it, Potenze dell'Asse ; ja, 枢軸国 ''Sūjikukoku'', group=nb originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis, was a military coalition that initiated World War II and fought against the Allies. Its principal members were ...

. As Malta became an independent country, the city's dockyard frequently became a bone of contention between the General Workers' Union, to which most of its employees belonged, and successive governments. In the early 21st century the dockyard was substantially downsized under the

governance Governance is the process of interactions through the laws, norms, power or language of an organized society over a social system ( family, tribe, formal or informal organization, a territory or across territories). It is done by the g ...

of the Nationalist Party after it was found that the cost of operating the site was responsible for around 25% of Malta's national debt. Plans are now underway for the transformation of an area of the dockyard into a commercial and tourist centre. Cospicua is also known as ''Belt l-Immakulata'' or the City of the Immaculate, referring to the

Immaculate Conception The Immaculate Conception is the belief that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception. It is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church, meaning that it is held to be a divinely revealed truth w ...

or the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...

, who is the patron of the city. every year a feast is being held on 8 December. File:Cospicua_in_1846._Calotype_by_Calvert_Jones.jpg, Cospicua in 1846.

Calotype Calotype or talbotype is an early photographic process introduced in 1841 by William Henry Fox Talbot, using paper coated with silver iodide. Paper texture effects in calotype photography limit the ability of this early process to record low ...

by Calvert Jones File:Calvert Jones, Square in Burmola, Malta 1846.jpg, Cospicua in 1846.

by Calvert Jones File:Richard_Ellis,_Cannavò_barber_shop.jpg, Cannavò barber shop on Cospicua's waterfront, 1910s, by Richard Ellis File:Fenech_photography_studio,_Cospicua.jpg, 19th-century Fenech photography studio ad in Cospicua

Culture

Cospicua celebrates its feast which is held annually on 8 December in honour of the

. Cospicua is known for its celebration of

Good Friday Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday (also Holy ...

, which began in the 18th century and is a popular tourist attraction. A statue of the Resurrection of Jesus is traditionally carried across the city's streets to symbolize Jesus' triumph over death. Smaller statues are also exhibited in the city. The people of Cospicua started the famous and artistic first 'Mejda tal-Appostli', which literally means, the table of the

Apostles An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...

. It consists of a display showing the food that was eaten during the Last Supper of

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...

and the 12 Apostles. It also consists of different stories of the

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus ...

, made with coloured rice and salt, on plates (these are done separately). Cospicua's football team is the St. George's F.C., thought to be the oldest on the island. Documentation shows that by 1885 there were already three football teams at Cospicua, which merged to form the current club in 1890. Cospicua is also famous for its Regatta team, which was one of the first. This team has won 17 shields (titles) overall, second only to Senglea. The 1st Cospicua Scout Group as formed in 1917. The St. George's Band Club was officially founded in 1862. Its first name was 'La Banda dei Cospicuani' but when Giorgio Crispo Barbaro, Marquis of St. George became first president of the Band, the name was changed to the present one.

Architecture

Malta - Cospicua - Fuq San l-Inkurunazzjoni - Dock no1 09 ies

The city's fortifications, namely the

Santa Margherita Lines The Santa Margherita Lines ( mt, Is-Swar ta' Santa Margerita), also known as the Firenzuola Lines ( mt, Is-Swar ta' Firenzuola), are a line of fortifications in Cospicua, Malta. They were built in the 17th and 18th centuries to protect the land ...

and the

Cottonera Lines The Cottonera Lines ( mt, Is-Swar tal-Kottonera), also known as the Valperga Lines ( mt, Is-Swar ta' Valperga), are a line of fortifications in Bormla and Birgu, Malta. They were built in the 17th and 18th centuries on higher ground and further ...

, are largely intact although they are in need of restoration. Saint Helen's Gate, also known as Vilhena Gate, is a gateway which forms part of the Santa Margherita Lines which is a tourist attraction itself. The Dock area also has some Georgian architecture. The Parish church of the Immaculate Conception, the church of St. Theresa, and the chapels of St. Paul and St. Margaret are also attractions. The celebrations and feasts on Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and the village feast on 8 December also attract tourists, as well as the statues of the Resurrection and the Immaculate Conception. Cospicua also has an ethnography, social history, anthropology museum and cultural venue known as Bir Mula Heritage. A 16th century lodge built by the Order of St John, simply known as The Lodge, is also used for exhibitions and other events. Adjacent to the lodge is another 16th-century building which houses a community radio station Kottoner 98FM. File:Parish Church of the Immaculate Conception.jpg, Parish Church of the Immaculate Conception File:Malta - Cospicua - Fuq San l-Inkurunazzjoni 01 ies.jpg, '' Kazin tal-Banda San Ġorġ '' File:Cinema Rialto, Bormla.jpg, Former Cinema Rialto File:Verdala Gate 07.jpg, Verdala Gate File:30062 Saint Helen's Gate.jpg, St Helen's Gate

Demographics

The first recorded

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of the Maltese islands took place in 1901. Cospicua (listed as Bormla in census documents) is recorded as having a population of 12,148 people. This figure remained relatively stable until 1931, but by 1948 had reduced to 4,822. After rising to 9,095 by 1957 and 9,123 in 1967, the city's population fell in the following three censuses. A March 2011 estimate gave the population of Cospicua as 5,658. Its population stood 5,479 as of March 2013, and 5,395 in March 2014. Colors= id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9) id:darkgrey value:gray(0.8) id:sfondo value:rgb(1,1,1) id:barra value:rgb(0.6,0.7,0.8) ImageSize = width:455 height:303 PlotArea = left:50 bottom:50 top:30 right:30 DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:15000 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical AlignBars = justify ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:5000 start:0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:1000 start:0 BackgroundColors = canvas:sfondo BarData= bar:1901 text:1901 bar:1911 text:1911 bar:1921 text:1921 bar:1931 text:1931 bar:1948 text:1948 bar:1957 text:1957 bar:1967 text:1967 bar:1985 text:1985 bar:1995 text:1995 bar:2005 text:2005 bar:2011 text:2011 PlotData= color:barra width:20 align:left bar:1901 from: 0 till:12148 bar:1911 from: 0 till:12164 bar:1921 from: 0 till:11536 bar:1931 from: 0 till:12163 bar:1948 from: 0 till:4822 bar:1957 from: 0 till:9095 bar:1967 from: 0 till:9123 bar:1985 from: 0 till:7731 bar:1995 from: 0 till:6085 bar:2005 from: 0 till:5657 bar:2011 from: 0 till:5249 PlotData= bar:1901 at:12148 fontsize:XS text: 12148 shift:(-8,5) bar:1911 at:12164 fontsize:XS text: 12164 shift:(-8,5) bar:1921 at:11536 fontsize:XS text: 11536 shift:(-8,5) bar:1931 at:12163 fontsize:XS text: 12163 shift:(-8,5) bar:1948 at:4822 fontsize:XS text: 4822 shift:(-8,5) bar:1957 at:9095 fontsize:XS text: 9095 shift:(-8,5) bar:1967 at:9123 fontsize:XS text: 9123 shift:(-8,5) bar:1985 at:7731 fontsize:XS text: 7731 shift:(-8,5) bar:1995 at:6085 fontsize:XS text: 6085 shift:(-8,5) bar:2005 at:5657 fontsize:XS text: 5657 shift:(-8,5) bar:2011 at:5249 fontsize:XS text: 5249 shift:(-8,5) TextData= fontsize:S pos:(20,20) text:Census data

Notable people

Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici, (17 July 19335 November 2022) was a Maltese politician who served as Prime Minister of Malta from December 1984 to May 1987.

(former

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...

and leader of the Labour Party); *

Ugo Mifsud Bonnici Ugo Mifsud Bonnici, (born 8 November 1932) is a Maltese politician and was the fifth president of Malta from 1994 to 1999. Early life, education, and family Ugo Mifsud Bonnici was born in Cospicua as the son of Professor Carmelo Mifsud Bonnic ...

(former Minister and also a former

President of Malta The president of Malta ( mt, President ta' Malta) is the constitutional head of state of Malta. The President is indirect election, indirectly elected by the House of Representatives of Malta, which appoints the president for a five-year term a ...

); * Anton B. Dougall (born 1952), Maltese chef, writer and television personality. * Dom Mintoff (former

and leader of Labour Party) and * Erin Serracino Inglott (

linguist Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Lingu ...

and author) whom a school in the city is named after. * Gianni Vella (artist)

Government

Cospicua's local council was established by the Local Councils Act of 1993. The first election was held on 16 April 1994 and Joseph Carbonaro was elected as mayor. After the 2000 elections, Paul Muscat became mayor and after the 2003 elections he was succeeded by Joseph Scerri. Scerri remained mayor for 10 years before being succeeded by Alison Zerafa after the 2013 elections.

Zones in Bormla

The following is a list of places in Bormla: * Dock No. 1 *Fortini ta' Feliċ *Kortina San Nikola *San Ġwann t'Għuxa *Fuq San Pawl *Fuq Santa Margerita * Fuq Verdala * Ta' Santa Liena *Tal-Foss *Xatt ta' Bormla In addition, the zone of Tal-Ħawli was also historically part of Cospicua. However this area was put under the jurisdiction of the

Local Council in 1994.

References

External links

Julesy's BnB - Luxury accommodation in Malta, operating in Cospicua

Bir Mula Heritage - A historical house and museum in Cospicua

Kottoner 98FM - A community radio station broadcasting from Cospicua

Bormla: A Struggling Community by JosAnn Cutajar, Ph.D.
{{Authority control Mediterranean port cities and towns in Malta Towns in Malta Local councils of Malta Populated places established in the 18th century Phoenician colonies in Malta