Balzan is a municipality in the Central Region of Malta, one of the so-called three villages, together with Attard and Lija. The village originally consisted of a group of small dwellings and farms but eventually grew, becoming a parish in the 17th century. As of March 2014 the town has 3,958 inhabitants.
Etymology
In Malta, many village names are identical to certain family names, as in Attard and Lija. It is believed by some, therefore, that the village inherited its name from a family whose family name was Balzan. Balsan literally means tax collector or contributions collector. The tax collector must have been from the same parish, at the time forming part of Birkirkara.
Culture
The ParishChurch, built in the mid-17th century, is dedicated to the Annunciation of Our Lady. and stands in the village core. It was erected in 1655 but later thought to be too small to serve the increasing population. The first stone of the new church was placed in 1669 and the building was blessed in 1695. The structure is in the form of a Latin cross, has one belfry and an elegant dome that can be seen from all around the village. The church is built on a Tuscan style from the outside and Doric on the inside. The church houses various works of art by famous Maltese painters such as Giuseppe Calleja, Chev. Emvin Cremona and Paul Camilleri Cauchi. The statue used in the village feast celebrated on the 2nd week of July, is carved in wood by Salvatore Dimech and shows our lady and Gabriel the Archangel. The parish also celebrates the feast of St. Valentine. As with Attard and Lija, Balzan is a sought after location and popular with the middle and upper middle classes. The population has increased due to large-scale development taking place, largely in the form of apartment blocks replacing villas and their gardens. However, this is mainly occurring on the outskirts of the village, and not the historic centre. The majority of Balzan is an Urban Conservation Area.
A common occurrence in many streets around Malta is the statue of Saint Roque. The belief was that this would protect the inhabitants against the Plague and any other form of contagious disease prevalent at the time. In Balzan there is a Church, a Street as well as a Statue dedicated to Santu Rokku. The statue is strategically placed at the corner of the street bearing the same name in order to oversee and protect the people living in the village.
Religious Organisations
Convent also known as Tal-Bon Pastur is a convent of the Good Shepherd Sisters who arrived in Malta from Smyrna in 1858. The convent in Balzan was built with the help of many benefactors in 1868. The chapel inside the convent was dedicated to St Joseph. The work of the convent continues to be that of helping and offering women and their children shelter from domestic violence, helping single mothers and now also helping male refugess and their families who end up in Malta. The Franciscan Missionaries of Mary Convent was built in 1926. It housed a convent, a chapel and a shcool. Stella Maris School Malta adopted the Montessori system of teaching when it opened in 1944. A few years later, in 1950, the school was offering kindergarten classes along with the primary school for boys. Since 2008, Stella Maris School has been a feeder school for St Aloysius College where students move to gain their secondary education.
Balzan Local Council
Notary Ian Spiteri Dr Angelo Micallef Stephen Gatt Mary Louise Briffa Dr Oliver Nicholas De Gaetano Ms Doriette Farrugia
Climate
Balzan has a Subtropical–Mediterranean climate, with very mild winters and warm to hot summers.
