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 2021, the town registered a population of 4,774 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 (Balzan) literally means tax collector or contributions collector. The tax collector must have been from the same parish, at the time forming part of Birkirkara. Heritage & Culture 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 (is-sartx) 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. Architecture 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