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 (Balzan) literally means ''tax collector'' or ''contributions collector''. The tax collector must have been from the same parish, at the time forming part ofHeritage & Culture
The church houses various works of art by famous Maltese painters such asArchitecture
Churches
* Annunciation Church, Balzan: This church stands in the village core of Balzan and dates to the 17th Century. It was erected in 1655, however it was soon felt that there was not enough space for the growing population of the village. The first stone for the new church was laid in 1669 and the new structure was blessed in 1695. The architect is not known but the design can be attributed to the Tuscan style for its exterior with a Doric interior and a dome influenced by Baroque which had just been introduced in Malta during those times. The entrance to the church features a stone statue of Our Lady in a Niche on top of which we find a stained glass rose window in the form of a circle. The belfry was built in 1708 with the dome finished a year before. * Parish Church of the Annunciation (''Parish Church'').This Parish church, built in the 17th Century stands in the village core. The blessing and laying of the foundation stone took place on 26 December 1669. Fr. Domenico Ellul, was Parish Priest at the time. The local community had been asking for a bigger church to accommodate the population of the village which continued to increase year on year. After many requests including an official Petition presented by Fr Ellul to Vicar General Mgr Cauchi, their prayers were answered. Mgr Balaguer registered his acceptance of their wishes official on 11 July 1663. The shape of the church follows the rules set forth by the church in the Council of Trent dictating the requirement to have the building in the plan of a cross. The nave is designed to lead to the main altar which faces East, a North and South Transep and a specially allocated space for the Choir. Parts of the church and its faced were restored in September 2020 as part of funds available through the European Regional Development Fund. *Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary: The church we see today was built in 1846 at the insistence of Rev Salvu Sammut Pullicino who wanted to build a church in the style that was popular at the time. The Ionic Facade is complemented with a Composite style interior. In World War II the church was used as a temporary home for refugees fleeing the Cottonera area. Later, it also served as a teaching space for the University of Malta Law students. Post war it was utilised as a store for statues and other street decorations used in the Village feasts. After its restoration it served as a chapel dedicated to adoration. In front of the church we find a statue of Our Lady which dates back to the early 19th Century. *Church of St Roque Situated on ''Three Churches Street'', this chapel was built in 1593 with the outbreak of the Plague during that same year. Victims of this devastating disease were buried in the church. The main painting in the chapel shows St. Roque, St. Paul and St. Sebastian, all three protector saints against the deadly disease. * Chapel of the Good Shepherd. This small Chapel within the grounds of the Good Shepherd convent was dedicated to St Joseph. It was designed by ArchitectThe reverence to St Roque
A common occurrence in many streets, buildings and historical sites around Malta is the reverence toCultural Heritage Property in Balzan
* Palazzo BosiNotable Persons
* Rev. Monsignor John (Gwann) Dimech ( 1922-2009) * Piju Ebejer (1874-1931) Master Stone Mason * Gabriel Caruana Artist ( 1929-2018) * Rev. Dr Joseph Zammit * Bernardo Manduca Piscopo Macedonia (1891-1971) * Prof. John Borg * Bishop Joseph Grech * Giuseppe Frendo * Mikel Scicluna Professional Wrestler 29 July 1929 – 20 March 2010Religious Organisations
* Good Shepherd Convent also known as ''Tal-Bon Pastur'' is a convent of the Good Shepherd Sisters who arrived in Malta from Smyrna in 1858. They were initially given a house in Lija by the Marquis Testaferrata to set up a boarding school for girls coming from Malta and Sicily. Today this building serves as the site for the Local Council, Social Services and Post Office within the village. They also offered classes for orphans and women who wanted to lead more meaningful lives. The convent in Balzan was built with the help of many benefactors in 1868. 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 school. 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. * The Neocatechumenal Way also known as 'Tal-Mixja' which falls within the Catholic Church. It was formed in Madrid in 1964 by Kiko Argüello and Carmen Hernández. It was opened in Balzan in 1984 through the catechists of the Way from the Mosta Paris. Currently has 4 communities and an up and coming "Katekumenju".Balzan Local Council
* Dr Angelo Micallef ( Mayor) * Mr Stephen Gatt ( Councillor) * Mrs Mary Louise Briffa ( Councillor) * Dr Oliver Nicholas De Gaetano ( Councillor) * Mr Andre Grech (Councillor) * Ms Doriette Farrugia ( Executive Secretary)Climate
Balzan has aBalzan Community Service
*Balzan Parish Church Office, Triq Idmejda *Balzan Local Council, Triq Dun Spir Sammut ''www.balzan.lc.gov.mt'' *Balzan Police Station, Pjazza Bertu Fenech *Balzan Health Clinic, Triq il-Kbira *Balzan Sub Post Office, Triq Dun Spir Sammut *Balzan Neocatechumenal way, Triq L-Idmejda (https://knisja.mt/movimenti-kattolici/mixja-neokatekumenali/) *Balzan Labour Party (Partit Laburista) Club, Triq it-Tliet Knejjes *Balzan Nationalist Party (Partit Nazzjonalista) Club, Triq il-KbiraSport Organisations
* Balzan Football Club, founded in 1937 is a team competing at the Premier Level of Maltese Football. The team has achieved consistently promising results throughout the last 5 years reaching runner-up and finalist levels in the last few years. In 2019, they won the Maltese FA Trophy beating contenders Valletta FC.Band Clubs
*St. Gabriel Band Club (Każin Tal-Banda San Gabriel) *Mary the Annunciation Philharmonic Society (Is-Soċjetà Filarmonika Marija Annunzjata)Places
*Church of the Annunciation (Pjazza Bertu Fenech / Triq il-Kbira) *Good Shepherd Convent (Triq l-Idmejda) *Katekumenju Mixja Neokatekumenali (Triq L-Idmejda) *St. Aloysius Primary School formerly Stella Maris School (Triq San Franġisk) *St. Francis Convent (Triq San Franġisk) *The Three Churches (Triq it-Tliet Knejjes) *Further reading
References
External links