A black wrought iron gate at the top of the stairs in a building that stands on Archbishop Street, Valletta, leads to the late Mgr Michael Gonzi’s apartment – which has remained untouched for 27 years.
Mgr Gonzi was a perfectionist and kept everything in order
“Apart from some curtain alterations, everything is the way it was in 1984 when Mgr Gonzi died,” says Jimmy Farrugia.
Now 65, Mr Farrugia knew the former Archbishop better than most. Employed as Mgr Gonzi’s chauffeur in 1968, he spent 17 years assisting one of the Maltese Church’s most vociferous figures in his everyday needs till his dying day.
The memory of Mgr Gonzi lives on too in an old Valletta palace, possibly one of the most interesting and unexplored buildings in Malta. And Mr Farrugia knows every nook and cranny, having lived in the quarters with his wife Antonia.
Nowadays he takes care of the bishop’s residence which needs to be aired daily. “I can’t believe how quickly time flies,” he mutters.
Peering into the Archbishop Palace’s sitting room, Mr Farrugia describes Mgr Gonzi as a strictly disciplined man.
“He was a perfectionist and kept everything in order,” he says, recalling the days when he waited on the Archbishop and his visitors in the carpeted oak sitting room.
The sitting room is one of a series of rooms on the ground floor in the Archbishop’s Palace which are open for public audiences during the festive season.
At the opposite end of the corridor is what Mr Farrugia calls “the throne room”. A solitary gilded stool lies perched on a couple of steps on the right. A border of emblems of Malta’s bishops and archbishops runs across the topmost part of the walls. Looking at a seemingly endless number of doors behind him, Mr Farrugia recounts the days when Mgr Gonzi went up the peach mosaic steps leading to his apartment on the first floor.
The very first room, right across from the gate, is brightly lit. Streams of sunlight drape the modest whitewashed dining room. To the left, a bleached-out cloth covers an oval table.
“Accompanied by his secretary, Mgr Gonzi used to dine quietly around this table,” Mr Farrugia recalls. Walking towards the nearest window and out onto the internal yard, he points at a lower balcony.
“That is my residence,” he said. “Whenever he needed my assistance, he would come to the window sill and call out my name.”
On the second floor, a stone crest with the word ‘Fides’ (faith) hangs on top of two heavy doors, opening into a marble-floor chapel.
However, one of Mgr Gonzi’s favourite places for prayer, at the early streaks of dawn, was the roof. Overlooking the Palace’s orange fruit tree garden, it stretches out and slopes down towards Marsamxett harbour.
Tucked away on the same floor is Mgr Gonzi’s bedroom. “One day, I heard him call out for help after tripping on the carpet when he got out of bed. He broke his hip bone and was taken to hospital. He started to make a recovery, but his health was deteriorating,” Mr Farrugia said.
Although 98 when he passed away, Mgr Gonzi’s death still took the caretaker by surprise.
Staring at the empty space where the Archbishop’s body once lay peacefully, he recalls the day he had to dress up Mgr Gonzi’s lifeless body with the help of one of his carers.
His left palm cupping his right hand, he shrugged his shoulders and added: “I knew it had to happen one day, but when you’ve lived with someone for so long, they become part of your life.”
“I used to pick him up from wherever he’s sitting, just like I’d pick up a frail child. He trusted me and treated me like family,” he said.
Stepping out of the bedroom and into Mgr Gonzi’s personal study, Mr Farrugia walks up eagerly to the bishop’s Rediffusion set standing on top of a book cabinet. Mgr Gonzi used to listen to programmes in Maltese and English, and live Mass broadcasts.
The former archbishop was not very fond of television broadcasts, and only watched the Pope’s blessings on New Year’s Day and Easter Sunday. Apart from his long walks outdoors, Mgr Gonzi spent most of his time in the claustrophobic study, with endless volumes of books stacked neatly on wooden shelves up against all four walls.
To the left of the Rediffusion set is a minuscule fireplace, tiled with burnt-sienna tiles.
“I was always surprised at how much warmth this tiny fireplace emitted,” he said.
Mr Farrugia recounts how Mgr Gonzi started using the fireplace when former Prime Minister Dom Mintoff said the room was freezing during one of his regular visits. The following day, a truckload of logs sent by Mr Mintoff was deposited at the Palace.
The place is spick and span, but Mr Farrugia worries about security.
“The ground level is always bustling with all sorts of people. There are an endless number of windows and apertures. I lock all doors and gates, as I’m always wary of intruders,” he says, as he closes the wrought iron gate separating the untouched apartments from the rest of the building, behind him.
The apartment is not open to the public because elected Maltese archbishops can opt to live in Valletta, as well as Mdina and Attard.
Mr Farrugia’s connection with the top Churchman in Malta continues to this day. Although retired, he juggles his time between driving Archbishop Paul Cremona to his several engagements and taking care of the palace standing tall on Archbishop Street.