Balzan (Malta)

Balzan
(Ħal Balzan)

coat of arms	map
Basic data
State :	Malta
Gzejjer :	Malta Majjistral (Northwest Malta)
Distretti :	Western film
Area :	0.596,924 km²
Residents :	4689 (December 31, 2018)
Population density :	7855 inhabitants / km²
ISO 3166-2 :	MT-02
Postal code :	BZN
Website :	https://halbalzanlocalcouncil.com/
politics
Mayor :	Ian Spiteri (since 2015) ( PN )

Coordinates: 35 ° 54 '  N , 14 ° 27'  E

Balzan (or Ħal Balzan ) is a settlement in the interior of the island of Malta . It is one of the "three villages", along with Attard and Lija .

Originally the village consisted of a number of small settlements and farms. It later grew and became its own parish in the 17th century. Today it has 4689 inhabitants (as of December 31, 2018); the younger generation lives on the outskirts.

The municipal council elections take place every three years. It is believed that the name Balzan comes from Arabic , possibly from olive groves and a special variety of orange trees (bitter oranges, blood oranges, etc.) that grew in the area. But it could also be derived from a Sicilian family who lived in the area of ​​today's Balzan.

Attractions

Parish church in festival lighting

The parish church - built in the 17th century - is dedicated to the Annunciation . It is built in the shape of a Latin cross , has a bell tower and an elegant dome that can be seen from anywhere in the village. The outside of the church is in the Tuscan style, inside in the Doric style. The statue, which is carried through the streets during the village festival in the second week of July, was carved by Salvatore Dimech (is-Sarċ) and shows Mary with the Archangel Gabriel . The parish also celebrates the feast of St. Valentin , after whom the local radio station (Radio Valentine) was named, but which was closed in 2006.

Sons and daughters

• Joseph Angelo Grech (1948-2010), Roman Catholic clergyman, Bishop of Sandhurst, Australia
• Joseph Galea-Curmi (* 1964), Roman Catholic clergyman, auxiliary bishop in Malta

Web links

Commons : Balzan  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Municipal Council of Balzan (English / Maltese)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ StatDB of the National Statistics Office Malta , accessed on August 1, 2020