1.
Balzan F.C.
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Balzan Football Club is a Maltese football club from the village of Balzan, which currently plays in the Maltese Premier League. The Club was founded in 1937, and has played football once before in 2003–04. As of 24 June 2016 Note, Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules, players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. The Clubs Administration Building ‘Solerville’ is located at Main Street, Balzan, a bar and garden restaurant on the ground floor are open to the public. The Club’s modern training facilities, located at Robert Mifsud Bonnici Street, Lija, include a clubhouse, the clubhouse includes a conference room, a bar and a gymnasium and was officially opened on 13 March 2011. From September 2015, Balzan F. C. teams also commenced training at St Aloysius College Ground, notes 1Q, First qualifying round Official website Official Facebook page Official Academy Facebook page
2.
Balzan
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Balzan is small town 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 dwellings and farms but eventually grew. As of March 2014 the town has 3,958 inhabitants, 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 name was Balzan. Balsan literally means tax collector or contributions collector, the tax collector must have been from the same parish, at the time forming part of Birkirkara. The parish church, built in the century, is dedicated to the Annunciation of Our Lady. The church is built in the form of a Latin cross, has one belfry, 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 and shows our lady and Gabriel the Archangel. The parish also celebrates the feast of St. Valentine, which gave the name to the radio station, Radio Valentine. As with Attard and Lija, Balzan is a sought after location and popular with the middle, 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 occurring on the outskirts of the village. The majority of Balzan is an Urban Conservation Area
3.
Birkirkara
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Birkirkara is a town in the central region of Malta. It is the most populous on the island, with 22,247 inhabitants as of March 2014, the city consists of four autonomous parishes, Saint Helen, Saint Joseph, Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Saint Mary. It is also home to St Aloysius College, the citys motto is In hoc signo vinces, and its coat of arms is a plain red cross, surmounted by a crown. Birkirkara means cold water or running water and this is attributed to the valley in the town. Originally, the name was written as Birchirchara, as influenced by the Italian alphabet which excludes the use of the letter k and it is often abbreviated as Bkara/Kara. Birkirkara is situated in a valley, which is from where its name is derived and it is in fact known for flooding on heavy stormy days. The area has also received embellishment works from time to time, there are many places of interest in Birkirkara, amongst them the Old Railway Station which is today located within a public garden. Trains were used as means of transportation across the island until the Railways closure happened in 1931, other town features include the Wignacourt Aqueduct built in the 17th Century, and St Helens Basilica, housing Maltas largest church bell. Various parishes and suburbs developed out of Birkirkara over the years, including Sliema, St. Julians, Msida, Ħamrun in the 19th century and Santa Venera in the early 20th century. In more recent years, San Ġwann and the hamlet of Ta l-Ibraġ hived off Birkirkara to form part of the new parish and locality of Swieqi in 1993. Birkirkaras main religious feast is that of St Helen which is celebrated on 18 August if it falls on a Sunday, the main event of the celebration is a procession with a large wooden statue carved by the Maltese master-sculptor Salvu Psaila. Notably, this is the procession on the island carried out in the morning. The procession leaves the basilica at exactly 8,00 a. m. the statue is lifted to shoulder-height by a group of townsmen and is carried through the main streets of the town. Birkirkara has grown into an important commercial centre as well as a populated residential area. As a busy town, Birkirkara has an incidence of car accidents. In Birkirkara, the temperature varies from 10.3 to 30.7 °C during a year, Joseph the Worker Parish Church, Triq il-Bwieraq St. Helens Parish Church, Triq is-Santwarju St. Casolani Da Vinci Hospital, Triq Kan. K. The latter is however definitely outshined by Birkirkara F. C. led by Adrian Delia, Birkirkara also eliminated Heart of Midlothian in the 2016-17 UEFA Europa League. Birkirkara Football Club Birkirkara Ultras 1997 Birkirkara St. Joseph Sports Club
4.
Floriana
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Floriana, also known by its title Borgo Vilhena, is a fortified town in the South Eastern Region area of Malta, just outside the capital city Valletta. It has a population of 2,205 as of March 2014, Floriana is named after Pietro Paolo Floriani, an Italian military engineer who designed the Floriana Lines, the line of fortifications surrounding the town. In Maltese, the town is called Il-Floriana by the local council, however, it is popularly known as Il-Furjana, and the latter is regarded as the official name by the National Council for the Maltese Language. The towns original name was Borgo Vilhena after Grand Master António Manoel de Vilhena. The name Borgo Vilhena is now used as a title, just like Valletta has the title Città Umilissima, the origins of Floriana go back to 1636, when construction of the Floriana Lines commenced. The line of fortifications was built outside the fortifications of Valletta as a defensive line for the capital city. The lines were named after Pietro Paolo Floriani, the Italian military engineer who had designed them, the fortifications were partially defensible by 1640, but construction and modifications continued throughout the 17th and 18th century, being fully completed in the 1720s. The area between the Floriana Lines and the Valletta Land Front began to be built up in 1724, the Assoċjazzjoni Sport Floriana, or Floriana Sports Association, sponsors a number of sports in the town, as well as hosting the Floriana Supporters Club. Saint Publius is one of the saints of Malta and also the patron saint of Floriana. The Archipresbyteral Church of Floriana is dedicated to Saint Publius, traditionally acclaimed as the first Bishop of Malta, according to tradition, Publius received the Apostle Paul during his shipwreck on the island as recounted in the Acts of the Apostles 28, 1–10. Being Maltese makes St. Publius the first Maltese saint and this explains the devotion which St. Publius enjoys around Malta, one finds various chapels and statues scattered around the Maltese Islands which date back to hundreds of years. Pjazza Emm. S. Tonna Pjazza San Kalċidonju Triq il-Konservatorju Triq il-Mall Triq il-Miratur Triq is-Suq Triq l-Argotti Triq l-Iljun Triq l-Isqof M. The National Audit Office along with the Department of Contracts and the Malta Environment, the Floriana Local Council was established in 1993 along with Maltas other local councils to administer the town. It is located at Emmanuel S. Tonna Square, the annual Isle of MTV music festival has been held in Floriana since 2007. Vilhena Band Club was founded in 1874, the first musical director of the band was Mro. Giuseppe Borg, and the first president of the Society was Baldassare Portanier, kevin Borg a Maltese singer and Swedish Idol 2008 winner was born in the town. He moved to Arvidsjaur, Sweden in late 2007 to live with his girlfriend and was soon cast as a contestant on the Swedish Idol series, St. Publius Parish Church, Triq Sarria Floriana Local Council, Pjazza Emanuel S
5.
Mosta
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Mosta is a town in the Northern Region of Malta, to the north-west of Valletta. In 2014, it had an population of 20,241. Mosta celebrates the feast of the Assumption every 15 August, popular among both the locals and the tourists, the town has many legends such as the Mosta Bride and a lot of historical places such as the Victoria Lines and medieval chapels. Mosta has its own scouts and girl guides as well as two clubs and two fireworks factories. A lot of traffic passes through Constitution Street, one of Mostas main streets which connects the South to the North, the main attraction in Mosta is the Rotunda – a huge round church with the third largest unsupported dome in the world. Mosta boasts the third largest unsupported dome in the World dedicated to the Assumption, the Feast of the Assumption is held on 15 August and it is a public holiday. The church is known as the Rotunda of St Marija Assunta. On 9 April 1942, the church was destroyed during World War II. An Axis bomb hit the dome of the church but failed to explode, the detonator was removed and a replica bomb is now displayed as a memorial. The Rotunda was designed by Giorgio Grognet de Vassé, a French citizen resident in Mosta, Mosta residents, at that time totalling not more than 1500, built the church. It took them 27 years to complete but the result is a tourist attraction of world standard, Grognet chose the type of stone by insisting on having one slab from each quarry operating in the Islands. He then proceeded to test their durability, in the end he chose a quarry in Mosta near to Ta Vnezja, at the gate of an old military airfield. The Cumbo Tower was the stronghold of Mosta in the Middle Ages and it is now owned by the Contessa Preziosi, the daughter of the late Barone della Quleja. As Mosta is at the centre of Malta, buses pass through Mosta on the way to Buġibba, Burmarrad, St. Pauls Bay, Qawra, Xemxija, one attraction in Mosta is the Speranza Chapel, which is situated close to the Speranza Valley. It was built in the 18th century, between 1760 and 1761, a legend tied to this small Chapel recounts that during a Turkish invasion, a young girl and her sisters were taking care of their familys sheep. While the sisters escaped, the girl couldnt run very fast because she limped slightly. It is said that she hid in a cave, and that she prayed to Our Lady and promised that, if she was to get out of there alive, she would build a chapel dedicated to Our Lady. When the Turkish invaders chasing her arrived, they didnt look for her in the cave because they thought the girl could not be hiding there because the web was intact
6.
Naxxar
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Naxxar is a town in the Northern Region of Malta, with a population of about 13,443 people as of March 2014. The Naxxar Church is dedicated to Our Lady of Victories, the annual village feast is celebrated on 8 September. Naxxar was formerly known for hosting the Maltese International Trade Fair at Maltese International Trade Fair Grounds, the Naxxar Locality is spread over an area of 11 square kilometres and has a population of over eleven thousand persons. The whole locality comprises the Naxxar centre, Sgħajtar area, Santa Marija tax-Xagħra, San Pawl tat-Tarġa, Birguma, Magħtab, Salina, Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq, Naxxar is famous for its cart ruts that curve and twist down the Great Fault escarpment. It is not easy to determine when Naxxar started to become a village, what is sure is that thousands of years ago, there already existed some form of habitation in Naxxar. According to legend and the Bible, the people of Naxxar were amongst the first to help the shipwrecked, including Saint Paul, for this reason many connect the name Naxxar with Nassar which means conversion to Christianity. The name might alternatively be derived from the Maltese verb Naxar, others insist that the name comes from Nsara or Nazaroei which means those who believe in the teachings of Christ who came from Nazareth and thus Nozri. Others say that the word Naxxar means one who saws, separates or cuts – it might be worth mentioning that in Naxxar there are a lot of stonemasons. Magri, in his book says that the word comes from nazar which in Jewish means chosen for him or else one who keeps to himself. This is because in the vicinity the Arabs had formed a village that they called Hal Muselmiet, for this reason the Christians started another village – that of the Christians and so the name of Naxxar. In fact the Parish of Naxxar was the first in the Maltese outskirts, after that of the Cathedral and this is borne out and further evidenced by the village motto – Prior Credidi – meaning the First To Believe. Inversione residenziale, mutamenti nell’uso dello spazio sociale a Malta, the Naxxar parish church was one of the ten parishes found to be existing by Bishop De Mello in 1436 and the villages of Mosta and Għargħur were subject to it. De Mello listed it as one of the ten parishes of Malta, in 1575, the parish of Naxxar had under its control a total of 36 churches –14 in Naxxar,5 in Għargħur,12 in Mosta and 5 in the neighbourhood of these villages. The present church was built between 1616 and 1630 when there were 1200 inhabitants in Naxxar and it was felt that a church was needed. The design was made by Tumas Dingli, one of the best architects of the time, the parish priest was Father Gakbu Pace. The choir and the area around it was redesigned in 1691 to the design of Lorenzo Gafà, the parish church was solemnly consecrated by Bishop Alpheran de Bussan on 11 December 1732. The church has two choirs, the renowned Jubilate Deo choir and its sister childrens choir Pueri Cantores Jubilate Deo, the choirs are currently being handled by Christopher Muscat and Daniela Callus respectively. The church also has two transepts and a nave and is 130 feet long, the width of the transept is 94 feet and the nave 30 feet
7.
Qormi
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Qormi, also known by its title Città Pinto, is a city in the Southern Region of Malta, located southwest of Valletta in the centre of the island. It has a population of 16,779, which makes it the fifth largest locality in Malta, the bordering towns of Qormi are Marsa, Luqa, Żebbuġ, Siġġiewi, Ħamrun, Birkirkara, Attard, Santa Venera and Balzan. Qormi has two parishes, one dedicated to Saint George and one to Saint Sebastian, there are also two valleys in Qormi, Wied il-Kbir, and Wied is-Sewda. Elder inhabitants of Qormi speak a thick Qormi Dialect, yet this is now in decline, there are indications of it being inhabited in antiquity. Bronze Age pottery was found in the known as Stabal indicating presence of humans as early as 1500-800 BC. Punic tombs have found at St Edwards Street and Tal-Bajjada. Also, some Ancient Roman remains were found in the valley of Wied il-Kbir, however, chances are that in these times, there were only small communities in the whereabouts of Qormi. It was only in the Middle Ages that it started to grow and prosper, probably thanks to its proximity to the Grand Harbour and its central position. The first written reference to the town is made in 1417 where it is recorded that the town provided some 100 men to serve in the Dejma, the national guard. The town is likely to have suffered a period of decline during the Great Siege of Malta due to the proximity of the Turkish camp in Marsa, the present St George Parish church was completed in 1684. In 1743 the town made a plea to Grand Master Manuel Pinto da Fonseca to elevate it to the level of a city and this was granted and the town received the title of Città Pinto on 25 May 1743. Qormis bakers served most of the islands bread supplies, Qormi also experienced plague, which led to some declines throughout its history. However, during the British rule, Qormi moved on with new institutions opening up, following 1850 Qormi became one of the largest inhabited centres in Malta, with amenities such as water and electricity, which were somewhat rare in those times. Trade and crafts grew, especially Horse racing which is a hobby that Maltese often attribute to people from Qormi, during the World Wars, Qormi played a small part as well. In World War II, people from Qormi formed part of the Armed Forces, Qormi also became a refuge to many people from the Cottonera area, which was badly hit because this area sits off the Grand Harbour, and area which was fiercely attacked by the Axis powers. Qormi, although close, is not exactly in the Grand Harbour region, Qormi has two parishes, dedicated to Saint George and Saint Sebastian. Saint Georges parish was the first one, however, when Qormi was growing, there was the need for the city to be split into two parishes to facilitate growth. Saint Sebastian was chosen because Qormi had turned to him during times of plague infestation, since he is the protector and patron saint of people ill from plague and this led to many Qormi citizens carrying the name of Ġorġ and Bastjan and their equivalents and derivatives
8.
Tarxien
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Tarxien is a town in the South Eastern Region of Malta. Its population stood at 8583 in March 2014, the town is most notable for the Tarxien Temples, a megalithic temple complex which is among the oldest freestanding structures on Earth. It forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the etymology of the village may be a corruption of Tirix, meaning a large stone, similar to those used for the villages noted temples. The village motto is Tyrii Genure Coloni, tarxiens population stood at 7,724 villagers in December 2008, which increased to 8,583 by March 2014. The oldest temple here is said to back to about 3600 BCE. The temples feature various statues and reliefs of animals, including goats, most notable of the statues found in the Temples are about 2.5 m in height, and are said to represent a sort of Mother Goddess. There are several of these statues scattered around the various temples, There was also one of three small baked clay figurines in the form of what is said to be a priest that was found here. The church was elevated to the status of parish in 1592, a key part of Ħal Tarxien culture is the feast of the Annunciation, whose feast is celebrated in late May or first Sunday of June. The second largest church in town is dedicated to the Resurrection of Christ better known by the locals as Ta l-Erwieħ, the word means of the souls and it is used due to the old cemetery that surrounds the church. This church is next to the renowned Tarxien Neolithic Temples and is visited by many tourists as many of the prehistoric remains were also found in the mentioned cemetery. There are two small chapels in Ħal Tarxien. These are dedicated to St. Bartholomew and St. Mary respectively, There is also another chapel which is housed in the convent of the Sisters of Charity. This is dedicated to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the same congregation have a school. There is also another church dedicated to St. Nicholas of Tolentino, the Annunciation Band Club http, //www. tarxienbandclub. com There is also another club, a social one, dedicated to Our Lady of Catholic Doctrine. Former Minister Magistrate Dr. Joseph Cassar, former Speaker of the House of the Representatives and Ambassador of Malta to the Vatican, Chev. Dr. Jimmy Farrugia lived at Ħal Tarxien until his death in 2007 and she represented Malta at Eurovision Song Contest 2010
9.
Valletta
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Valletta is the capital city of Malta, colloquially known as Il-Belt in Maltese. The historical city has a population of 6,444, while the area around it has a population of 393,938. Valletta is the southernmost capital of Europe and the second southernmost capital of the European Union after Nicosia, Valletta contains buildings from the 16th century onwards, built during the rule of the Order of St. John also known as Knights Hospitaller. The City of Valletta was officially recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1980, the official name given by the Order of Saint John was Humilissima Civitas Valletta—The Most Humble City of Valletta, or Città Umilissima in Italian. The building of a city on the Sciberras Peninsula, originally called Xaghriet Mewwija, had proposed by the Order of Saint John as early as 1524. Back then, the building on the peninsula was a small watchtower dedicated to Erasmus of Formia. In 1552, the watchtower was demolished and the larger Fort Saint Elmo was built in its place, in the Great Siege of 1565, Fort Saint Elmo fell to the Ottomans, but the Order eventually won the siege with the help of Sicilian reinforcements. The victorious Grand Master, Jean de Valette, immediately set out to build a new fortified city on the Sciberras Peninsula to fortify the Orders position in Malta, the city took his name and was called La Valletta. The Grand Master asked the European kings and princes for help, pope Pius V sent his military architect, Francesco Laparelli, to design the new city, while Philip II of Spain sent substantial monetary aid. The foundation stone of the city was laid by Grand Master de Valette on 28 March 1566 and he placed the first stone in what later became Our Lady of Victories Church. De Valette died from a stroke on 21 August 1568 at age 74, originally interred in the church of Our Lady of the Victories, his remains now rest in St. Johns Co-Cathedral among the tombs of other Grand Masters of the Knights of Malta. Francesco Laparelli was the principal designer and his plan departed from medieval Maltese architecture. He designed the new city on a grid plan. The streets were designed to be wide and straight, beginning centrally from the City Gate and ending at Fort Saint Elmo overlooking the Mediterranean and his assistant was the Maltese architect Girolamo Cassar, later oversaw the construction of the city himself after Laparellis death in 1570. The Ufficio delle Case regulated the building of the city as a planning authority, seven Auberges were built for the Orders Langues, and these were complete by the 1580s. An eighth Auberge, Auberge de Bavière, was added in the 18th century. During António Manoel de Vilhenas reign, a town began to form between the walls of Valletta and the Floriana Lines, and this evolved from a suburb of Valletta to Floriana, a town in its own right. In 1749, Muslim slaves plotted to kill Grandmaster Pinto and take over Valletta, in 1798, the Order left the islands and the French occupation of Malta began
10.
Sliema
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Sliema is a town located on the northeast coast of Malta in the Northern Harbour District. It is a residential and commercial area and a centre for shopping, dining. Lining the coastline is a known as the Sliema Front. Romantic moon strolls, barbeques and open air restaurants and cafes have made Sliema the hub of social nightlife, Sliema is also known for its numerous rocky beaches, water sports and hotels. Sliema, which means peace, comfort, was once a fishing village on the peninsula across Marsamxett Harbour from Valletta. The population began to grown in 1853 and the town was declared a parish in 1878, now Sliema and the coastline up to neighbouring St. Julians constitutes Maltas main coastal resort. Sliema is considered a place to live and is relatively affluent. Historically, stylish villas and traditional Maltese townhouses lined the streets of Sliema, Sliema has now been ringed with modern apartment blocks, some of which are amongst the tallest buildings in Malta. This has resulted in significant traffic, parking and construction-related noise pollution issues, residents of Sliema are stereotypically known for their usage of English as a first language, although this is changing in the 21st century due to demographic shifts. Maltese people from Sliema are referred to as Slimiżi, Sliema got its name from the Our Lady of Good Voyage Chapel, that now no longer exists. It periodically served as a point for the sailors and fishermen in Marsamxett Harbour. The name could thus be connected with the first words of the Hail Mary prayer, Sliem is the Maltese word meaning peace. The triconsonantal root of the word is Š-L-M, the construction age of the church is unknown but it was included in a map by the Order of St. John even before being handed the Maltese islands to them. At the Great Siege of 1565, il-Qortin, as it was known, was a camp centre for Turkish troops led by Dragut. He met his fate there, having been killed by a bombardment from Fort St. Elmo at the flank of Marsamxett Harbour. Fort Tigné was eventually built by the Knights of St. John in the late 18th century, in 1855 a new church dedicated to Our Lady Star of the Sea was opened to public worship. Around the new church, the village grew into a town. By 1878, the population grew to such an extent that the authorities had the Stella Maris Church declared a parish in its own right
11.
Paola, Malta
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Paola is a town in the South Eastern Region of Malta, with a population of 7,864 people. It is named after Grand Master Antoine de Paule, who laid the stone in 1626. To encourage migration to Paola, de Paule gave indemnity to the debts of the families who moved there and this account was recorded for the first time by de Solidanis in the eighteenth century. He says that in 1750 the village was not yet a parish on its own, Paola became almost deserted due to a local disease, but became increasingly habitable after intervention by captain Hunn. Paola is renowned for the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, its parish church, its beautiful square with shopping centres, the Good Friday procession. There are two churches, one dedicated to Christ the King and the other to Our Lady of Lourdes. The feast of Christ the King is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of July, the parish also has a Franciscan church dedicated to Saint Anthony, in the Għajn Dwieli zone of the parish. St. Ubaldesca Church is the oldest church in Paola and was the first parish church there, in 2008 the church underwent minimal restoration. Villa Perellos, which is dedicated to the grand master, is a landmark of historical importance for the locality. Mariam Al-Batool Mosque, the mosque in Malta, as well as an Islamic Cultural Centre are found in Paola. The countrys correctional facilities and the largest burial grounds, the Addolorata Cemetery are also in this town, the town is a commercial centre in the Southern Harbour area of Malta, about 5 km from the capital Valletta. Although Paola was founded in the 17th century, several remains have been found within the locality. The Hypogeum has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Hypogeum is a large complex of rooms hewn out of the limestone about 11 metres below the surface. It appears to have used as a burial site. Neolithic man carved out the Hypogeum using only antlers and stone picks as tools, the Hypogeum is made up of three levels, which are superimposed upon each other. The upper level resembles the earlier rock-cut tombs found elsewhere on the Islands, the middle level, hewn out during the temple period is made up of numerous chambers. Many statuettes, amulets, figurines and vases were recovered here, the most famous figurine is that of the so-called Sleeping Lady, a reclining figurine, perhaps meant as a representation of eternal sleep. It is on display at the National Museum of Archaeology, Valletta The Kordin Temples were located on a plain that overlooks the Grand Harbour
88'
Edison Luiz dos Santos
Bojan Kaljević
Clayton Failla
Matteo Picciolo
Lateef Elford-Alliyu
Abdelkarim Nafti
Vito Plut
Hamza Barry