Further to the letter by Joseph Gauci with information about Palazzo Ferreria (January 20), I would like to add some more facts and clarify a point.

John Louis Francia had three children, two daughters and a son, none of whom had any children.

The son, John Baptist Francia, adopted a certain William (Bill) Fenton (a grown man in his 30s) in 1971. When John Baptist Francia died in 1974, his will stated that all his property was to go to his adopted son and if this son died all the property was to go to the Church.

Bill Fenton died in 1988 without any children and the property all went to the Church. So under the Church-state agreement of 1985, the Palazzo would have gone to the government anyway, if it hadn't been used to pay death duties, as did all the other property.

As the daughter of a cousin of John Francia, I would be interested to know how Mr Gauci feels the palace would have been his.