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23 September 1890 — Villa Pisani, Vescovana | |
Tuesday. 23rd September [1890]. Called at 7 & tea in our rooms. At 8 Ct Seckendorff, the Empress & I set off to drive to Este wh we reached soon after 9. Drove straight to the Museum & after going thro’ it were offered coffee of wh we were glad. Went on to the Duomo. It being the fete of the patron saint of the town the church was full– The arciprete had the big doors open & came to the door to receive H.M.– It was a picturesque sight– The church was hung in red & full of people. H.M. said she feared she was interrupting the service but the priest said it had not begun so we went to see the picture by Tiepolo behind the high altar. The archiprete was very polite & kissed H.M. hand on her leaving. We drove to the costa & went into what remains of the old palace. There are 3 rooms with painted ceilings not very old. H.M. was most interested in this castle as it was the cradle of her race– The walls are very nicely kept up. The old palace is to be made someday into a museum. The sindaco then proposed we shd go to a villa wh had belonged to Byron so we set off but the road was so bad & steep that our horses began to jib & we had to jump out & go on foot. The villa appears to have been bought by Byron but never inhabited by him & lent to Shelley. From the summer house in the garden there is a splendid view & there Shelley is said to have written his poem on the Euganean hills. The villa now belongs to Baron Kunkler ex-German consul of Venice. His wife English—a fat old lady who came out to present her respects to H.M. & who kept appealing to me “ought I to go with her (wont you help me) no it would be rude—it would be rude!” On the way from there to the Villa Benvenuti some one mentioned that we were passing the tomb of a German minister & H.M. at once said she must see it, we got into a garden & had a scramble to get to the outside of the walls of the old castle & there found a neglected tomb of Haugwitz who was minister to Frederick the Great & who died in 1832. His little villa still remains wh he left to his servant & when he died. H.M. said she would let his family know that the grave was so uncared for. When we got to the gates of the Villa Benvenuti H.M. was very much tempted to go into the garden but it was getting late & we had to drive back to Vescovana so I resisted & got her to get into the carriage & bid adieu to all the authorities in evening dress who had accompanied us. On the drive H.M. & Seckendorff told me much of the difficulties to be encountered as to the management of a household in Germany. She says she has to grumble & find fault constantly & cannot get her servants to obey. She said that when her son P. Henry had the measles & she nursed him her servants poked his food into his hand any how & when she begged him to bring a tray & give things nicely P. Henry got cross & said “Mama do leave my servant alone—he knows what I like– He is not used to be scolded & I will never come here again if you do so.” She said the servant who slept in the next room to the P. blacked his boots on the bed & emptied water on the ground behind the store. When sitting up at night he placed his chair near the wall & left greasy imprints of his head on the wall papers. She said that she could not teach her own servant after 10 & 15 years to knock when they came to her room—& could not get Css Bruhl to change her own dress for dinner of an evening when they were alone. We reached Vescovana about 12 just as Henry, Mr Malcolm & the servants were going to start for the train to return to Venice. Then we lunched. H.M., Seckendorff, the Countess, D. Antonio, the Capt of the gendarmerie & I—& at 2 we started for the station. Then at Stanghella we found the sindaco & all the authorities of Este come to see H.M. off & they presented her with a splendid bouquet. At Padua which we reached at 4 we found a carriage waiting & we drove to the Santo & H.M. was received by the head priest & a young frate who was an Austrian & was probably chosen as he could speak German. H.M. is very enthusiastic over the church & enjoyed seeing it again. A little crowd had begun to assemble while we were there—& we were glad to drive off to Sa Giustina & leave them behind as H.M. does not like a crowd. She told the young priest to come to S. Giustina & he came on foot– S. Giustina is a fine church with a fine wooden choir well carved. It is close to a barracks & very soon the soldiers began to assemble & another little crowd to collect—& when we arrived at the University there was another. We went in & saw the court yard with the coats of arms of the students & the fine sala—& then went to the Palazzo della Ragione—& up to the fine halls. By this time H.M. was known to be there & every body was on the look out. They all saluted H.M. most politely– We drove round by the Arena but had no time to get out & so went on to the station to leave by 5.15 train. Of course it was late so we sat in the Capo stazione’s room & had coffee for we were tired. At Venice station we found Henry & Ola who had come in search of Stella Dyer but she was not there. I left H.M. at the door of Pal. Malcolm & returned home to dinner & went to bed directly after. Mr Moore came but I did not see him—& at 15 Princess Victoria & Margaret came—but Henry & I were in bed & they remained with the Du Cane girls. | |
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