Cospicua

Cospicua (Italian) or Bormla ( Maltese, ), occasionally also known by the Latin name Cottonera, is a double-fortified harbour city in the Port Region of Malta. It served as the principal port of Phoenician Malta and, through Greek, Latin, and Arabic, may have given its name to the island and country. Along with Birgu and Senglea, it is one of the Three Cities located within the Grand Harbour to the east of the capital city Valletta. With a population of 5,395 as of March 2014, it is the most dense city of the Three Cities. Locals are known for their Cottonera dialect.

Names

The ancient Phoenician name ''Maleth'' meant "refuge" or "port", cognate with Hebrew ''malat'' (, "escape"). The Greek () and Latin probably derived from this toponym, despite being reapplied to Malta and then inland Phoenician settlement at Mdina after its conquest in the Second Punic War. The Maltese name probably derives from a combination of Arabic () and the Phoenician name. It has also been folk etymologized to derive from Old Maltese , literally "well of the landlord", from (), supposedly intending "well of the Lord".

History

Bormla has been inhabited since Neolithic times. The Phoenician colony there was known as Maleth, established at some point after sea level rise destroyed earlier coastal settlements during the 10th century BC.

By the arrival of the Order of Saint John, it was known as Bormla. Its fortifications, protecting both the town and its neighbours Birgu and Isla, were begun in 1638 but not completed for another 70 years. In 1722, Grand Master Marc'Antonio 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 made extensive use of the dockyard, particularly during the Crimean War, the First World War and during the years preceding the Second World War. Bormla, along with the rest of the area around the Grand Harbour, was heavily bombed during this last war as Malta was under siege by the Axis powers.

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 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.

Bormla is also known as ''Belt l-Immakulata'' or the City of the Immaculate, referring to the Immaculate Conception or the Virgin Mary, 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 by Calvert Jones
File:Calvert Jones, Square in Burmola, Malta 1846.jpg, Cospicua in 1846. Calotype 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 Immaculate Conception. Cospicua is known for its celebration of Good Friday, 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 Bormla started the famous and artistic first 'Mejda tal-Appostli', which literally means, the table of the Apostles. It consists of a display showing the food that was eaten during the Last Supper of Jesus and the 12 Apostles. It also consists of different stories of the Bible, made with coloured rice and salt, on plates (these are done separately).

Bormla'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

The city's fortifications, namely the Santa Margherita Lines and the Cottonera Lines, 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 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 (former Prime Minister and leader of the Labour Party);
*Ugo Mifsud Bonnici (former Minister and also a former President of Malta);
* Anton B. Dougall (born 1952), Maltese chef, writer and television personality.
*Dom Mintoff (former Prime Minister and leader of Labour Party) and
* Erin Serracino Inglott (linguist and author) whom a school in the city is named after.
* Abram Gatt (sculptor)
* Gianni Vella (artist)
* Paolino Vassallo (composer)

Government

Bormla'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
*Ix-Xgħajra ta' Bormla

In addition, the zone of Tal-Ħawli was also historically part of Bormla. However this area was put under the jurisdiction of the Birgu Local Council in 1994.

References

Citations

Bibliography

*
* .

External links

*

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