Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-10-27
From the washington Globe.


| good and ever KIND consul, Bulda, obtained
permission to visit it, in company with some
few American friends. He has guard armed
with gun at the entrance gate of the
grounds, who inquiries your right to enter be-
fore you are permitted to do so. We were
received at the entrance of the palace by some
half dozen livcried servants, and were con-
Quoted through the rooms by one whose plain
! clothes and silk stockings marked him as be-
/ longing to the higher order of turnkey gentry.
You see, Governor Marcy is right, it is
much greater distinction to be in plain clothes
than livery. Well, to return to Demidof IS
beautiful villa of San Donate Nothing had
| ever seen before had prepared me for its mag
nifconce. l had visited all the principal pal
aces of France the Tuileries, Versailles, Fon-
| tainebleau.
Mrs. Blunt, who was with us, had visited
Windsor Castle but it was generally conce-
ded by our party, made up of persons who
had travelled extensively, that there was moth
ing in all Europe to equal it. L do not mean
architecturally for the exterior is plain, a two
story building presenting rather a handsome
front, with two wings. forming three sides of
a square. We saw only the state rooms upon
the second floor, forming a suite OF sixteen
rooms, all communicating with each other by
doors that would be with us wonders OF art;
not folding doors-for they are, believe, pc
culiar to America-but a double door, about
as wide as a good American street door.
One great charm of the whole was the ex-
qusite taste and homelike appearance OF each
room, as if made to be occupied, notWlth-
standing their more than real magniticence.
Imagine two rooms as long, if not as wide, as
the East Room of the Presidents, with WIN
dows of plate glass on either side, command
ing exquisite views of the mountains and
M hoe t1tif nj 1S gtrnfplInU Oft
into well cultivated fields and farms; these
rooms entirely furnished with the precious
malachite, not one piece, but great tables,
chairs, sofas, columns, vases, cabinets, man
tie pieces, with hearths of the finest Roman
mosaic. Walls covered with the finest Gobe-
lin tapestry or crimson velvet, gorgeous car
pets, priceless mirrors, pictures, gems OF art,
Murillos, Guidos, Raphaels, and some OF the
most celebrated pictures of De la Roche; Ill
statuary, the choicest works of the great mod
ern sculptors among which were several by
Powers the Fisher Boy, Greek Slave, several
busts, &C.. ceilings rich with gildings and
frescoes, the rarest and most superbly dressed
skins placed as foot rugs. Follow me into
another, furnished entirely with exquisite
Florentine mosaic, as fine as the finest of those
we see at home set as ornaments chairs and
sofas artistically formed of velvet and gold
gliding the finest antique lace thrown over
them; magnificent full length portraits OF
Peter the Great and Catharine.
Again another, furnished with ebony and
crimson velvet, rich ebony cabinets filed with
countless snuff boxes, set with large diamonds,
emeralds; in short, all imaginable precious
articles of vertu; large centre table, and
upon its superb cover the most exquisite Illus
trated editions of English and American books.
/ took up one-the first touched-"Rip Van
Winlde." My involuntary exclamation Of
huIa Tor Washington Irving, drew several of
the party to the table. 1t was refreshing, in
the midst of this magnifcence and bewilder-
ment of luxury, to see this little gem of Am
erican literature. But forget that I have
only taken you through four rooms of the
suite. Well, imagine another, the walls COW
cred with the most exquisite pictures of the
Flemish school, rich pieces of Flanders lace
thrown over the gilded and satin sofas and
chairs, mantle pieces and columns of rerd an
tique.
Another, the walls covered with crimson
satin, and lined with lovely pictures of the
| French school another with exquisite old ar
| NOR and beautiful pieces OF antique furniture;
another with statuettes, chandeliers, vases Of
chased silver, great rosewood presses, richly
carved, and filed (the servant informed us)
with plate. Another, the fall room, lined
with mirrors, the ceilings covered with mag
niheent and appropriate irescoes; and yet an
other,-the great dining room, the richly
carved Bullets, covered with gold and silver
yessels-artcles of the table-some of them
originals, others from the school Of Cellin
the walls covered with full length portraits by
Titan; and one of the most remarkable por-
traits have ever seen, and one well anthem
ticated-a full length portrait of richly dress
ed, sad looking woman, Of the great Floren-
tine family of Frescobaldi, who was the moth
| er of fifty two children, and had outlived them
ALL which interesting fact is painted in COR
ner of the picture.
Imagine all the other rooms equally as mag
nifcent with wood in the chimneys, ready for
kindling; richly gilded wood boxes, great
vases of Sevres China, malachite Uerd antique,
antics, red antique hangings, baskets
filled with the freshest flowers of spring, or
the rarest exotics, casting a delicious perfume
! throughout the suite of rooms; thousands of
wax lights IN the chandelier; plate glass win
dows, commanding never to be forgotten
views of mountain and valley. Imagine all
this and much more, and you will have some
idea of about one fourth Of the famous villa of
| San Donate, the home of one Of the autocrat's
richest subjects But we must now visit the
conservatory. We descend grand staircase,
| (not the one by which we entered) lined with
| statues and busts, cross a court, and our silk
stocking friend leaves with a low bow re-
fusng money, saying it is against the regula
| lions Of Demidotf, and we are received by
| gentleman, [ presume, both from his dress
and manners, but nevertheless, gardner to the
| Prince DemidoH.
We were conducted through the conserya-
tory, which is five hundred feet in length, of
proportionate height and width, and divided
into compartments representing all the eli
mates of the earth statues, fountains and
hanging rustic chandeliers, filed with wax
lights, were seen amidst a bewilderment of
plants, the boxes and pots so skllfully COW
cred with moss that the plants seemed to be
growing from the earth. | recognized many
! natives of our woods, and paused a. moment
in the tropics for Mr.. P.'s sake, though my
friends hurried on, finding the heat intoera-
Bile, unbearable. The compartment for came
has was the largest and most beautiful, for it
was the blooming season and whilst there
were many young plants looking like young
trees, and covered with flowers, on the north
wall the plants were trained like vines to the
veIy ceiling, and covered with one mass of the
rarest and finest varieties of that beautiful
flower.
You will perhaps feel some curiosity to
know who this Demidof is. He is the son
of the Demidoff who when asked by Napo-
leon the First for his titles, replied, 81 have
five millions year." Napoleon remarked,
g ciola u1 honanse d'eSprit." He was, be-
liese, humble subject of the Emperor
Of Russia, made rich by the discovery of sill