File:Italian castles and country seats (1911) (14775200854).jpg

Identifier: italiancastlesco00batcrich (find matches)
Title: Italian castles and country seats
Year: 1911 (1910s)
Authors: Batcheller, Tryphosa Bates, 1878-
Subjects: Castles -- Italy Historic buildings -- Italy Italy -- Description and travel
Publisher: New York, Longmans, Green, and Co.
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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Varese, that is situated on theshores of the lake of the same name, and commandsa magnificent view that extends even to the whitesnows of Monte Rosa in the dim distance. In itsimmediate proximity are great noble pines, spruce,cedar, and many other forest trees, while the broadterrace in front of the house has the indispensable andever beautiful Italian fountain, about which at vary-ing angles and curves are placed the paths, lined withrare flowers that seem to thrive in artistic perfectionunder the hand of the skilled Italian gardener. I suppose there are greenhouses somewhere on theplace; I suppose that somebody some time must do agreat deal of work on these lovely gardens of Italy,but the gardeners must work when the plants grow,for you see the effect of both and the actual accom-plishment of neither. In all my walks in the variousgardens of the many villas where we have been Ihave never seen a part of a flowered hedge faded ordestroyed by some wretched worm, as is so often the(204)
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Taken by Mrs. Baicheller VILLA CAGNOLA AT GAZZADA, LOMBARDY AND COUNTRY SEATS case with us at home, nor have I ever seen anybody-working over these same perfect formal gardens, forperfect they must be to fulfil the design and intentof their making. I took a great many pictures, and Iwish I had been indiscreet enough to take one of theluncheon table, that I might send it to you, who havealways so many delightful ideas yourself of table deco-ration; but imagine the table, large, for twenty-fivepeople (a small luncheon as the hospitable Italiancalls it), laid out from its centre nearly to the edgeof the plates of each person in a miniature Italiangarden, with a mirror serving for greensward and tinyexquisitely worked Murano porcelain replacing thehedges, while the flowers, great deep purple violetswith different lengths of stem, filled the decorativegarden vases, also of finely worked Murano porcelain,in sizes appropriate to the rest of the fairy garden.I am not a gourmand as you know, a

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