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21 August 1908 — Castel Savoia, Gressoney St. Jean | |
Friday. 21st August [1908]. The Queen took us an expedition to the Castle Fenis in the Val d’Aosta. We started at 10.30 in the motor cars. The first contained in the back seats Pss Strongoli and Marchesa di Villamarina in front of them the Queen & I. In front Prof: Giacosa & the chauffeur who is a gentleman Capt. in the Army. It was rather a cloudy day but there was very little rain. The val d’Aosta was splendid & the both sides hold many fine castles, some inhabited, others ruins. Thro’ all the villages as we passed the Q. was much applauded– She always took her motor goggles off in passing thro’ the villages & bowed & smiled. Giacosa who knows every inch of the road pointed out the interesting castles we passed & gave us the history of the old families. We turned off the high road & passed under the railway & over the river to get to Castle Fenis & then found ourselves in a beautiful place just outside the castle gate. Inside the court wh goes round the castle between it the walls we found the Q.’s servants who had come from Gressoney in the great white motor bus & the table was laid ready for our lunch. While the viands were being warmed up we went round the little castle. A small court now all green is just in the gates & wide steps lead up to the galleries which run round to give access to the rooms. The walls of the corridor have some interesting frescos & many inscriptions scratched over them & of very old date. Many were in praise of ladies such as “Viva la Signora Francesca” & there were some in Spanish & others in German or French. This Castle once belonging to the celebrated Challant family who owned most of the Val d’Aosta & are now extinct except in Switzerland, has of late been entirely inhabited by peasants who have burnt the wood ceilings & destroyed much of the stonework. It was latterly bought by a rich Italian who made a gift of it to the Italian Govt & it has thus become a national monument & will be therefore preserved from further decay. It is a small but very interesting castle & one is glad to think it will not go entirely to ruin. We glad of our lunch at 1.30. The table is a folding trestle one which is brought in the bus & the food is served on paper plates—& paper (card) cups—wh afterwards can be thrown away. After lunch we sat all on our campstools just outside the wall gates where there is a lovely view of the Val d’Aosta. A little after 3 we started off again back to the high road & went to see the Castle d’Issogne which belongs to the family of Challant & is still now & then inhabited by the recent owner. It is far finer than Fenis & in good preservation. There is a well inside the gates in the middle of the court in the centre of which is an iron apple tree. The arcades round this court have under them interesting frescos portraying the several shops of trades such as tailor, baker, butcher &c. There is still a little furniture in all the rooms. The owner has presented the castle to the Italian Govt when he dies & has gone to live in another large castle on the other side of the valley. The Bourg surrounds the castle & has not much extended itself. We started back at abt 5 o’cl & got back to the Castel Savoia abt 8 p.m. The Q’s household followed her in a 2nd motor with covered seats at the back—it is the motor I arrived in from St Martin the day I came. We did not dine till 8.45. | |
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