he Parish Church, built in the mid-17th century, is dedicated to the Annunciation of Our Lady. and stands in the village core. It was erected in 1655 but later thought to be too small to serve the increasing population. The first stone of the new church was placed in 1669 and the building was blessed in 1695. The structure is 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 church houses various works of art by famous Maltese painters such as Giuseppe Calleja, Chev. Emvin Cremona and Paul Camilleri Cauchi. [4] 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.[5] 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.