Balzan
Encyclopedia
Ħal Balzan is small village in 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. Presently the village has around 3,400 inhabitants.
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 Sicilian family whose family name was Balzan (or Balzano). Other historians claim that ‘balzan’ refers to a Sicilian tax collector that could have come to Malta to collect taxes for his Sicilian feudal master. This tax collector could have resided in Balzan thus giving the village its present name.
church, built in the mid-17th century, is dedicated to the Annunciation of Our Lady. The church is built 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 statue used in the village feast celebrated on the 2nd week of July, is carved in wood by Salvatore Dimech (is-sarc) and shows our lady and Gabriel the Archangel. The parish also celebrates the feast of St. Valentine, which gave the name to the village radio station, Radio Valentine, which closed down officially in 2006.
As with Ħ'Attard and Ħal Lija, Ħal Balzan is a sought after location and popular with the middle and upper middle classes. Its residents' political affiliation is predominantly that of the Nationalist Party (PN), a centre-right political party currently in government. Lately its 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. Because the majority of Ħal Balzan is an Urban Conservation Area, most of its unique character will remain for years to come.
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
, one of the so called three villages
Three villages
Attard, Balzan, and Lija are three small villages located near the centre of the Mediterranean island of Malta. The Three Villages are known as such because of their close proximity to one another. In some cases one side of the street is part of one village while the opposite side of the same...
, together with Attard
Attard
Ħ'Attard is a village located at the centre-most point of the island of Malta. Together with Balzan and Lija it forms part of "the Three Villages" and has been inhabited since the Classical Period. Ħ'Attard's traditional Latin motto is Florigera rosis halo due to its many flower gardens and citrus...
and Lija
Lija
Lija is a small village on the island of Malta. It forms part of the Three villages of Malta, along with Attard and Balzan. Lija has a baroque parish church and seven other small chapels...
.
The village originally consisted of a group of small dwellings and farms but eventually grew, becoming a parish in the 17th century. Presently the village has around 3,400 inhabitants.
Etymology
The Origin of “Balzan”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 Sicilian family whose family name was Balzan (or Balzano). Other historians claim that ‘balzan’ refers to a Sicilian tax collector that could have come to Malta to collect taxes for his Sicilian feudal master. This tax collector could have resided in Balzan thus giving the village its present name.
Culture
The parishParish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
church, built in the mid-17th century, is dedicated to the Annunciation of Our Lady. The church is built 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 statue used in the village feast celebrated on the 2nd week of July, is carved in wood by Salvatore Dimech (is-sarc) and shows our lady and Gabriel the Archangel. The parish also celebrates the feast of St. Valentine, which gave the name to the village radio station, Radio Valentine, which closed down officially in 2006.
As with Ħ'Attard and Ħal Lija, Ħal Balzan is a sought after location and popular with the middle and upper middle classes. Its residents' political affiliation is predominantly that of the Nationalist Party (PN), a centre-right political party currently in government. Lately its 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. Because the majority of Ħal Balzan is an Urban Conservation Area, most of its unique character will remain for years to come.
Balzan Community Service
- Ħal Balzan Parish Church Office, Triq Idmejda (Idmejda Road)
- Ħal Balzan Local Council, Triq il-Kbira (Main Street)
- Ħal Balzan Police Station, Pjazza Bertu Fenech (Robert Fenech Square)
- Ħal Balzan Health Centre, Triq il-Kbira (Main Street)
- Ħal Balzan Branch Post Office, Triq il-Kbira (Main Street)
- Ħal Balzan Malta Labour Party Club, Triq it-Tliet Knejjes (Three Churches Street)
- Ħal Balzan Nationalist Party Club, Triq il-Kbira (Main Street)
Band Clubs
- St. Gabriel Band Club (Każin Tal-Banda San Gabriel) - St. Gabriel Band Club Website
- Mary the Annunciation Philharmonic Society (Is-Soċjetà Filarmonika Marija Annunzjata) - Mary the Annunciation Philharmonic Society Website
Old Village Core
- Triq il-Kbira (Main Street)
- Triq il-Knisja (Church Street)
- Pjazza Bertu Fenech (Robert Fenech Square)
- Triq it-Tliet Knejjes (Three Churches Street)
- Triq Sisner (Sisner Street)
- Triq Idmejda (Idmejda Street)
- Triq Birbal (Birbal Street)
- Triq San Valentin (St. Valentine Street)
- Trejqa l-Papa Alessandru VII (Pope Alexander VII Lane)
- Triq l-Annunzjata (Annunciation Street)
- Triq Santa Marija (St Mary Street)
Village Expansion
- Triq San Frangisk (St. Francis Street)
- Triq il-Providenza (Providence Street)
- Triq Santa Marija (St. Mary Street)
- Triq Ġużè Bonnici (G. Bonnici Street)
- Triq Wied Ħal Balzan (Ħal Balzan Valley Road)
- Triq Cauchi (Cauchi Street)
- Triq Antonio Micallef (Antonio Micallef Street)
- Triq L`Isqof Giovanni Balaguer (Balaguer Street)
- Triq Ġużè Bonnici
- Triq L-Imdina (Mdina Road)
- Triq il-Ferrovija l-Qadima (Old Railway Road)
- Triq il-Kannizata
- Vjal De Paule (De Paule Avenue)
- Triq San Rokku (St. Roque's Street)
- Triq L'Għerusija (Engagement Street)
- Triq Wigi Ebejer (Wigi Ebejer Street)
- Triq Zammit (Zammit Street)
- Triq Dimech (Dimech Street)
- Triq Antonio Bosio (Antonio Bosio Street)
Interesting Places at Ħal Balzan
- Church of the Annunciation (Pjazza Bertu Fenech / Triq il-Kbira)
- Good Shepherd Convent (Triq l-Idmejda)
- Stella Maris College (Triq il-Kbira)
- St. Francis Convent (Triq San Frangisk)
- Wignacourt Aqueduct (Triq l'Imdina)
- The Three Churches (Triq it-Tliet Knejjes)
- Malta Hospice Movement (Vjal il-Buon Pastur)
- Fra Giuseppe Zammit Summer Residence (Behind Church)