traffic passes through Constitution Street, one of Mosta's main streets, connecting the south to the north. Places of interest Sanctuary Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady (also known as the Rotunda of Mosta or the Mosta Dome) Mosta boasts the third largest unsupported dome in the world. The church, also commonly known as the Rotunda of Mosta or the Mosta Dome, is dedicated to the Assumption. The Feast of the Assumption is held on 15 August and it is a public holiday in Malta. From its inception as a parish in 1608, Mosta has had three different churches built on the same site, with the current one being designed by Giorgio Grognet de Vassé, a French resident of Mosta. The Mostin at that time, totalling not more than 1500, built the church. Grognet’s design was based on that of the Pantheon of Rome. Due to debates and doubts regarding the design, the first stone was laid on 30 May 1833. The rotunda has a diameter of 55.20 metres on the outside and 39.60 metres on the inside. The main façade faces south and has six columns in the Ionic style. On each side, a steeple rises from the façade. Following the front elevation, the church has an analogous style at the back, but without steeples. The dome was built on the principle of the catenary profile, meaning that each stone was laid over the one underneath it. The church took 27 years to complete and became a major attraction. On 9 April 1942, the church was nearly destroyed during World War II. An Axis bomb hit the dome of the church whilst people were inside, but it failed to explode. The detonator was removed and a replica bomb is now displayed as a memorial. Lion monument in Rotunda Square A prominent feature of Rotunda Square is a statue of a lion on a pedestal. Once, this was part of a fountain which originally was in Sliema. The fountain has since been removed. The statue is made of bronze-coloured cast iron. It was made in the Val d’Osne Foundry in Paris. Embossed on the pedestal there are the coat-of-arms of Mosta and those of independent Malta. Ta' Bistra Catacombs The Ta' Bistra Catacombs are the largest set of catacombs found to date outside Rabat, and are located in Triq il-Missjunarji Maltin in Mosta. These catacombs were first recorded in the