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21 September 1885 — Ca’ Capello, Venice | |
Monday. 21st September [1885]. Mlle de Perpigna fetched Rachel in the morng early to say goodbye to the Princesses & brought her back in time for us all to go to the station & Henry & I, Addie & Rachel left for Vittorio by 11 o’cl train. We got to Vittorio abt 1 & went to the inn to lunch & then we parted. Addie & R drove to Longarone en route for Inspruck. Henry & I drove to Cison to pay a visit to Ct & Css Brandolin at their Castle of Valmarino. It was very hot & there was a tremendous scirocco. We drove by a beautiful valley with pretty little lakes to Cison, there we drove into the court of the Fattoria of the Brandolins & found Ninina waiting for us. She said our carriage could not get up to their castle wh is on the heights above Cison, that our luggage would be taken up & that we could go in her little carriage drawn by a mule. As she was going to walk we did the same—but the ascent was so long I was glad to get into the carriage. Henry was quite out of breath when he finally got there. We sat on the terrace & had tea. Count Annibale Brandolin was out when we arrived & Ninina’s mother Mme d’Adda was ill in bed. The Count returned for dinner at 7. In the eveng a gentleman came from Cison & the Dr for Mme d’Adda we went to bed at 11. Castello de Val-Marino is a very old property granted by the Venetian Republic to the famous Condottiere Gattamelata & Brandolin in 14 & the 2 families intermarrying it became the sole fief of the Brandolins. The old castle, the interior of wh was burnt in ’72 is most picturesque & an enormous building was added to it 200 years ago by one of its possessors. It is magnificently placed on the top of the hill overlooking the valley of Marino with Cison, Follina & other villages at its feet. The exterior of the old castle was restored by the 6 brothers Brandolin & in the long hall which is now no longer divided into 2 stories there is an inscription cut in marble to record the fact wh runs thus, “Questa Castillo di Valmarino Recordo li erasmo da narni detto et Gattamelata e di Brando Brandolini quassi distrutto dalle framme nella notte de 5 al 6 Luglio dell’anno 1872 i fratelli Brandolini—Vincenzo—Sigismondo—Guido, Paolo Annibale, Conti Brandolini [illegible word] per volontà concorde e lo resero monumento di amor fraterno e di indis [illegible word] affetto di famiglia. The gardens are very well kept—the house in very good order and the rooms well furnished. Our apartment is on the 3rd floor & consists of a fine salon opening into 2 bedrooms & a maid room. The furniture is old fashioned mostly of the last century– The stairs up to it consists of one vast flight & has a fine effect. At the top of it is the entrance to the hall of the old castle. The stairs are ornamented with trophies of old arms wh had formerly been used in the castle. | |
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