Balzan
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Balzan
For other uses, see Balzan (disambiguation).
| Ħal Balzan Il-Kunsill Lokali ta' Ħal Balzan Casal Balzan |
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| — Local council — | |||
| Ħal Balzan | |||
| Balzan | |||
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| Motto: Hortibus undique septa | |||
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| Coordinates: 35°53′53″N 14°27′12″E / 35.89806°N 14.45333°ECoordinates: 35°53′53″N 14°27′12″E / 35.89806°N 14.45333°E | |||
| Country |  Malta |
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| Island | Malta | ||
| District | |||
| Borders | Attard, Lija, Iklin, Birkirkara | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | John Zammit Montebello (PN) | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 0.6 km2 (0.2 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 56 m (184 ft) | ||
| Population (March 2011) | |||
| • Total | 4,234 | ||
| • Density | 7,100/km2 (18,000/sq mi) | ||
| Demonym | Balzani (m), Balzanija (f), Balzanin (pl) | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Postal code | BZN | ||
| Dialing code | 356 | ||
| Patron saint | The Annunciation; St. Valentine | ||
| Day of festa | 2nd Sunday of July; 14th February | ||
| Website | Official website | ||
| Three Villages of Malta | |
|---|---|
| Balzan - Attard - Lija |
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. As of March 2011 the village has 4,234 inhabitants.[1]
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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 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. [2]
Culture
The parish 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. The majority of Ħal Balzan is an Urban Conservation Area.
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
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)
References
- ^ "Population statistics". Malta Government Gazette. mjha.gov.mt. 9 August 2011. http://www.mjha.gov.mt/MediaCenter/PDFs/1_Population%20Statistics.pdf.
- ^ http://www.balzan.gov.mt/locality1.asp
External links
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