Cospicua
Encyclopedia : C : CO : COS : Cospicua
| Three Cities of Malta | |
|---|---|
| Cospicua - Vittoriosa - Senglea |
Cospicua, city, Malta. It is the largest of the three cities also known as Cottonera. The Maltese name for Cospicua is Bormla.
It is situated between the other two towns which make up Cottonera which are Vittoriosa (Birgu) and Senglea (Isla). These three towns form part of the area surrounding the grand harbour and are found on the eastern side of the capital city Valletta.
Cospicua was the last of the three to be built. Its lines of majestic bastions, built by the knights of Malta, are a sight to behold for sheer size and magnitude.
Like all towns and villages in Malta, Cospicua celebrates its feast which is held annually on 8 December in honour of the Immaculate Conception.
Bormla from Bir-Mula: The well of the Lord. In 1722 Grand master Zondadari declared it a city and in view of its strong bastions named it Citta Cospicua. In 1776 the Order of St. John started to construct a dock. This was the turning point in Cospicua's history, as from then on Cospicua became known for its docks. The dockyard played a vital role in the development of this city and is indeed, part and parcel of its history. Over the years, the dockyard had a chequered history with glorious moments and troubled times when Malta formed part of the British Empire. The British navy made extensive use of the dockyard, particularly during the Crimean, First World War and during the years preceding World War II. There were however years where the dockyard passed through difficult periods when demand was low and moreover when the British naval services in the Mediterranean were downsized. As times changed and Malta became independent, the dockyard, now in government hands, proved to be one of the most economic controversies of the island, and was often the bone of contention between the General Workers Union, to which most of its employees belonged and subsequent governments. It was only in recent years that the dockyard has been downsized and plans are now underway for the transformation of an area of the dockyard into a commercial and tourist centre. Cospicua has indeed changed considerably over the past few decades. Its current population just over 6000 is less than a half of what it was 100 years ago when like nearby Senglea, it also hosted some of the wealthiest and most cultured people on the island. In fact, one can say that Cospicua played a crucial role in Malta's politics over the years. It was the hometown of Dr. Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici a leading lawyer and a Nationalist MP. His son, Dr. Ugo Mifsud Bonnici was a former Minister and also an ex-President of Malta. Now, Carmelo, Dr. Ugo's son is a Parliamentary Secretary in charge of Justice and Home Affairs. Cospicua is also the birthplace and hometown of Dom Mintoff, former Prime Minister and leader of The MLP, as well as an influential veteran politician in his own right. Cospicua was also the home town of leading linguist Erin Serracino Inglott as well as numerous other professionals who led and still lead the country's civil service. Being in the target area around the Malta Dockyard Cospicua was severely hit during the Second World War. Post-war Cospicua saw many people leave the town to settle elsewhere and the availability of cheap housing brought an influx of new people from outside town. This may have also accounted for the town's degradation over the years, as its social fabric now verged more towards lower middle and low class. In fact, the Cottonera area has the highest level of illiteracy in Malta. However, things have improved following the rehabilitation of the dock and the Cottonera Waterfront Project. Cospicua or Bormla, as it is known in Maltese, the largest of the Three Cities forming Cottonera (Cospicua-Vittoriosa-Senglea). Its outer defenses, (bastions) the Cottonera Lines, are worth visiting. Cospicua' football team St. George's is the oldest existing football club in Malta, having been established in 1890. However, it only won the league once but nowadays it is trying to re-capture some of its former glory and the team now tops the island's first division.
External links
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| Malta Island | ||
| Attard | Balzan | Birgu | Birkirkara | Birżebbuġa | Bormla (Cospicua) | Dingli | Fgura | Floriana | Gudja | Gżira | Għargħur | Għaxaq | Ħamrun | Iklin | Isla (Senglea) | Kalkara | Kirkop | Lija | Luqa | Marsa | Marsaskala | Marsaxlokk | Mdina | Mellieħa | Mġarr | Mosta | Mqabba | Msida | Mtarfa | Naxxar | Paola | Pembroke | Pietà | Qormi | Qrendi | Rabat | Safi | St. Julian's (San Ġiljan) | Santa Luċija | St. Paul's Bay (San Pawl il-Baħar) | San Ġwann | Santa Venera |Siggiewi| Sliema | Swieqi | Ta' Xbiex | Tarxien | Valletta | Xgħajra | Żabbar | Żebbuġ | Żejtun | Żurrieq
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| Gozo Island | ||
| Fontana | Għajnsielem | Għarb | Għasri | Kerċem | Munxar | Nadur | Qala | Victoria (Rabat) | Ramla Bay | Saint Lawrence (San Lawrenz) | Sannat | Xagħra | Xewkija | Żebbuġ | ||
Cospicua St.George's FC
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