New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-01-22
THE VILLA FORlNI.
THE ITALIAN HOME OF GEORGE ?. MARSH
AND WILLARD FISKE.
ITS STIRRING HISTORY AND ITS sCKRoCNDiS"S
RICH IN INTEREST.

tbere were any Americans likely to feel special IN
terest in anything of an architectural sort pcyo""
a wigwam or a burial mound painstaKihg h'',
ian chronicler has devoted "a book to the glory oil
this villa from which it appears that under 'no
Florentne Commonwealth it was a possession VI
the Soderipi family powerful rival OF the Meu'c'
one of whose members, Plctro Sodern was III loo+'
elected goadloniere or political head oil the hePuo
lie seemingly the only person on whom that dignity
was ever conferred for life. In the grounds Oh INC
villa his grandson, Giovanvittorio SoderInI, maze
what were perhaps the earliest known scientific eA
pcrunents on the growth of plants and the treat
ment of the soil. Here, likewise, the same
Giovanvittoro composed pungent eplgrams anu
Matched hostile schemes against the raPi"y
eliminating despotism of the Moiici.-the hha
feeble effort to save the waning liberties OF Florence
for which he was condemned to death-a penalty
subsequently, commuted to Imprisonment ioi
life in the citadel of Etruscan Volterra IN wh'cn
unpleasant abode he wrote numerous agriculture
trcatises At later period, during the seventeenth
and Eighteenth Centurics. the villa was owner oy
the Borbone del Monte family, remote brahch Vi
the French Bourbons 1t was from father TO SON
race of M litary ad genurers; and lrescoes oil tue
Lattles and sicgcs in which they took part all over
Europe under the gallant Don John OF Austrid
and the fierce Dukes of Parma and Ava, SIN cover
the villas walls One OF the last OF these Italian
Bourbons exchanged the profession OF warrior ior
that of patron of letters and entertained here
Ugo Foscolo. Nccolni and other Tuscan poets ana
ltcrati of his day.
This ancient elfcc, in consequence of tho Sod
erini experiments, was originally known as "ll
Giardino," or the palace of the garden. When
Florence, instead of Turin became the Italian
capital. it had passed. into the hands of wealthy
Florcntine and was styled the Villa Forinl. AZ
that time it was leased by the American Minister
TO Italy, the late George F. Marsh whose crudtlon
and hospitality worthily maintained the old tradi-
tons of the villa and made it the gathcringpace
of native and foreign scholars. Within its walls
Mr.. Marsh wrote his unique treatise on Man ana
Nature" within its walls too, was housed hi' hne
library-rch in works on scandinavian phliology'
English literature and natural scicnces-untl 1t |
was consigned to the University Of Vermont. The |
eminent American diplomats. and lnguist has
lately been succeeded in the villa by friend and |
fellow conntryman, Professor Willard Fiskc whose |
researches in the northern languages OF Europe are
akin to those pursued by his predecessor. On the |
facade of the mansion. after the FlorentIne man
ncr have been inserted marble tablets comment |
Grating the leading incidents OF its history 10 which
is to be added another rccountng the fIct OF
its long occupancy by Mr.. Marsh. One of these
inscriptions reads in translation a. follows; 10 |
Gioyanyittoro 30 lcrini, who living in the SIX |
tenth Century, the first among us To give rules
to agriculture founded on Investigations made in |
the fields of this villa, and embodied III his famous
books written in the dungeons of yotcrra, where
during many weary years, he eHpiated his love Of
liberty. n victim of Mcdcean tyrants.'
SCENES FAMED IN song AND STORY.
The villa stands on the banks of a little noun.
tain born torrent its entrance into the Aruo,
inst outside tho old city cato OF La Crocc but |
ba liiui of h.
urban site the roomy belvidcrc IN its huge square
tower affords al cxtendc view of the Tuscan CAPT
tai and the mountains surrounding It, To the north
lies the lofty white wall Il mother city, Fesolc. |
the steep slopes below 1t dotted by hundred villas.
embowcrcd IN green ,hrubbery among which aTc
visible those once occu pied by Leigh Hunt Landor.
Uallam Lindsay and many another English scholar
OF note In thc.iar eastern distance Is seen Mltons
VaiIonbro,l Toward the south, on tine heights be-
yond the Arno rises the tower which witness d the
observations Of Calico aul beside 1t liz, the villa
in which ne died: AMI lower down the stream on
the hill of Relo.gnnr,lo may bc caught glimpse Of
HAWTHORNE, " Monte Bcui.' the home 81 the Anrg,-
can novelist during the latter portion of bis stay IN
Florence. To the west the spectator looks down on
the doincs aud spires of the city. the nearest OF
which is the slender clmplnile which towers above
the Church oil Santa Crocc with is six ilu'trous
dead the poet, and statesmen and arti', and his
torilns whose lives gave Florence rcnown far be-
yond its political Importance. / cannot avoid say
ing that nearer still may la seen another burial
placc-the old Protestant cemctcry-whctc. under
expresses aud willows lie the remains OF celebrated
English writer, like Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Frances Trollopc Walter savage Landor and arthur
HUGH Cough and of not few almost equally IA
nous Americans. including Theodore Parker, Rich
ard iildrcth and Logm"r Graham. These cNllcd
graves, of which | hal close view, are generally
marked by memorials worthy Of the literature their
occupants enriched and of the land in which they
died If except those Of Parker and I.drcth. whose
rude toinbStoneS certainly dc sciut credit either 10
American taste or national gratitude.
The immediate surroundings ol the house, ihe |
every foot of Florontlne soil. tc"n with rent
OF the past. la 'front.' oi ITS very gatrS the
ambitious orso Donatl-, fcidtNc nl PAM" li'iI'
known wile-was murdered 10y his political OPP |
ponents IN 1905 The gardens IN 'front.' ana rear are
now laid ont in quiet winding walks. III the midst OF
hedges of laurel and bay, wdc-spicadlng magnollas
and ccdlrs OF Lebanon and thickets oil labnrnnms
and acacas but they once formed a part ~ the
PLAN on which the Emperor Henry OF Luxembourg
encampcd when he bcscgcd Florence III 1918, the
further portions of which are still known rs the
" Campo II Arrigo"- Iiarry's Field. Hardly moro
than stones throw away stands what remains OF
the old Convent OF san Sa!vi stu adorned by ne
noble Last Supper OF Andrea del Sarto-from which
the Pope Martin V. IN lllD made, through neigh
boring city gate. his memorable entry into florence
with all the magnIhcence OF caparlSons OF cloth oil
gold, and canopcs OF brocadc. and robes OF crnine
and garands Of olive bOughs and roses according 10
the style OF that suInptuous time
WHERE ANCIENT TUscANs DwELr.
Within the villa exhibits indications of its great
age High. heavy doors admit the visitor to a cen
trail entrancc-hal running through to the rear
where a similar portal allows lin to mako his exit
to the bosco coppice behind the house this hail.
hung with curious medallions of ong-dead Tuscans.
is repeated in the story above opening at either end
upon projecting stone balconies The lofty apart
tn L.
irregular in their shapes. and divided from each
l., H. of, Ia Al