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18 February 1899 — Rome | |
Saturday. 18th February [1899]. Wrote letters & hastened my lunch at ¼ to 1 & then went off to Pal. Adescalchi (SS. Apostoli) where the P. & Pss Adescalchi received me very kindly & showed me their art collection. The Prince has got some good things Tanagra figurines Limoges enamels &c. He has arranged a family museum of all Adescalchi mementos—the clothes of the Pope of their family &c. From there I went to the Beausite & Lady Vivian took me & her daughters & two Keppel girls to see the Villa Albani now belonging to the Torlonia family. It was built by Card: Albani on purpose to receive the remains of Hadrian’s villa at Albano & all the fine sculptures were arranged by him with the help of Winckelmann. The great saloon is supposed to [be] an exact representation of the one built by Hadrian & the pillars & sculptures are placed in exactly the same way as they were originally set. The furniture is modern & in the worst taste. The gardens are lovely but the park which used to surround them has been disfigured with great houses now half-finished & quite unoccupied which were begun some 8 years ago when the great mania for building was at its height– The lovely views of the Campagna which formerly were to be seen on all sides are thus lost—& it is a sad pity. We were accompanied by a Monsignor Vay de Vaya de Luskod a very smart young priest. Lady Vivian had known him as a fashionably young man of society & he had procured for her the permission to see the Villa. He was intelligent & very dapper. Has beautiful garments—a soutane training on the ground & one thinks gives work to his valet le chambre. He seems to know the best society in every country & is a favorite at the Vatican. We all drove back to Miss Wilson’s tea rooms in the Piazza di Spagna & Lady Vivian gave us tea– From there I walked to Mme Hurtado’s & paid her a visit. Maria Cozzi came there & she brought me back to this hotel. Dined with Lady Louisa & Mme de Bülow. Patience. | |
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