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Sunday, November 15, 2015

Notre Dame Gate, Cottonera


The beauty of history is that it shows you how to look at things differently and appreciate that what we see today is just a snapshot which reflects neither the past nor the future.

The Notre Dame building in Birgu is a typical example.  Today it serves as a highly picturesque roundabout but this structure once formed part of nine kilometres of fortifications – and indeed it was one of seven gates - that circled the three cities of Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua which were known as the Cottonera Lines.

Built by Grandmaster Fra Nicola Cotoner in 1675, it is a dominant building that rises to five levels and provides to this day an excellent view of this part of the island.




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