The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-04-14
THE VILLA PALMIERI.
The Famous House Whore Queen Victoria
stays In Florence.

The Famous House Whore Queen Victoria
stays Ia Florence.
Tho residence OF the countess OF CrAw-
ford, Villa Pa!mteri, 10 to be. for the sac
ond time. the place OF habitntion Of Queen
Victoria when she goes TO Florence. Tho
house Ia set upoa rising ground, In the
midst OF a landscape Virgilian In char.
Acter, and haunted by varied memo-
sies connected with tho historical
past. On NIL sides. browning other emil
nences or half hidden by olives and o,-
presses, are villas, each one OF which has
some story Of the renaissance or the Mid
die Ages attached 10 1t. The %psrsonapes
statesmen, conspirators, scholars. cowlsd
saint and bravo warriora-who inhabited
them can he evoked by fancy to
tread anew the narrow mountain paths
or linger in the pleasant shade Of
that Valley Of Beautiful Women on
which our queens eyes will look down. The
very name OF the valley embodies the tradi-
ton that in this %rrecise ncighhorhood was
laid the scene Of BoGoaccio's "Deoamsron."
The villa w its name to Matteo P.lmierI.
the humanist. He shared this title with
mel of greater note than himsalf-with tho
gentle and noble Palla Sttozzi. with tho
bitter Filelfo, the astute and rnncorous
PoQgio. But II he did not rise to their
height Of fame, there is. on the other hand.
no trace of his having POSSESSED tho iRnoble
CudTdCt0rl0llCA Wn1CO CAUSED 30 many OF
the scholars of tho Renaissance to assail
the ears of polite Europe with their COM
plants. and besp1ttst tho pages Of learning
with rscrimiuations.
The description OF the place to which the
ladies and thoir ~aallants fsd from she
plngue applies exnctly to the appearance
which the villa Palmieri preseats at this
hour; for il. also, Ia built ION a little en-
inence remote from high roads, covered
with trees and plants. and crowned with a
stately pnlace built ronnd a grand, beauti-
ful court. and containing lofty rooms and
galleries curiously adorned with paintings.
All around are fair meadows and most de-
lightful gardens. with fountains of pure
water" such arc the words in which Boo
cncoio describes the lordly pleasure house
is the aspect of the Villa Palmieri. Change
has. fortunately, but little invaded the
immediate neiRhborhood of Florence.
and the corn still waves there like n
sen" as whom it delighted the cyes Of
Pampinea; and the valley is still verdant.
hut the song of birds to which TINT genial
lady alluded is we'll nigh silenced, az the
Elorentine sportsman much delights in the
shooting and consumption OF larks and
thrusEes.
under the republic OF Florence. and rose TO
be standard bearer Of justice. His name.
however has como down to posterity chiefly
in connection with his strange poem. 'The
City of Life" which brought him into dis
rerute as a herctie. and oven caused tho
came evil reputation to attach itself to
Sandto Botticelli.
The celebrated singer Catalani spent her
last days in Villa LavsRgi, while not very
far off, in the stately Villa Salviati. Giuiia
Grisi and Mario resided for come years be-
fore the death of the former. The walls
thus associated with two great names on
the stage of mimic love and hate once wit
messed a terrible domestic I aGedy of jeal-
ouay and revenge. For it was hither that
the naughty Veronica Cybo brought the
head Of Catarina Canacei, whom she had
caused to be murdered, and. first twisting
round and round the severed throat the
cealed the CHASTITY object in a jar Of fiowers.
or. as some moro unpoeticnlly relate, in a
basket of clean linen. then presented it to
her husband. Jacopo Salviati, C~atarina's
supposed love.