The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-11-24

In Some Respects It Is the Most Per
feet in the World.
CMarauise de Fontenoy in Chicago Amer
\

tMdTIulSe dc EOntenOy IN CHIcdSO -AtsfCA
ican.)
1t is not Queen Marguerite, but her
son, the new king of Italy, who is the
purchaser of the Roman palace known
as Villa Malta. which is to serve
henceforth as the metropolitan resi-
dence for the widow of King HumDert
1t has been bought completely tur-
nished Just as it stands, with all the
art treasures and bric-a- brac, from the
Russian Count BObTinSki, in whose
possession it has been for CONSIDER
able time past, having likewise. been
owned at one period by the reigninS
house of Bavaria.
The grounds are entirely sheltered
from public view by high, UNCOVERED
walls and by hedges of roses nearly
thirty feet ia height Yet from the ter
races built on each floor all around the
house, and still more from the tower,
the whole of Rome, the whole of the
Campagna, the Albsn and Sabine nils
asd even the Mediterranean are visible.
At the gates stands porter's lodge
from which a CirCuitous carriage drive
leads through the grounds, nearly three
acres in extent, under palms. orange
and pOmegranate trees and bdmD0oS 10
the chief entrance.
g = .
The ceiling of the grand hall is in the
Italian renaissance style, in keeping
with the scheme of the polished mar
hIe floors below, and possesses the pc
I cuiiarity of being adjustable to any
height preferred by the occupant of the
palace and ingenious mechanism in
the tower allowing il to be raised or
lowered at will. The whole hall, which
is similar in shape and style to those
existing in English EIizabethan cOun-
try seats, is wainscOted TO a height Of
at least twenty feet with magnificent
polished walnut panelling, and above it
and round the gallery runs a broad
/ band of woven gray silk of simple de-
! sign. The chimney piece of this hall is
/ a superb one of massive Scuiptured
marble and formerly adorned the Al
| tempo palace.
/ Space forbids detailed description
/ of the palace. but a word must be said
/ of the dining room, which OvertoOks
] the main entrance. Ceiling, panelling
/ and sidebOaTds are of the best English
/ modern workmanship, while the space
J between the panelling and the ceiling
/ is hung with tan cOlOred pigskin, on
! which are fixed choice plants Of His
/ piano. Moorish and Oriental manufac-
ture.
The ceiling terminates in a frieze in
laid with plates of old blue Maxim
/ Three of the four corners of the room
! are covered with old Italian tapestry
! in perfect preservation. On the side
/ board stands the principal pieces of 4
| lovely Sevres porcelain service in light
/ green or gold
8 e, g
/ More admirable if possible than the
/ perfection of the palace as a residence
! and the exceptional beauty of its con
| tents is the order reigning everywhere
/ Every object is numbered. Every key
] Of every door bears its number OF
( wrought iron, and every apartment ha:
its small aTmOiTe with the list of key.
which should hang there. The pas
sages and corridors are all paneIled il
Spanish beach, and the floors. WheT
not of marble, are made of MajOIiCa
tiles of various designs. Not a specI
Of dust is to be seen, not even in the
stables. where the walls, lined witt
marble 10 a height OF tex feet and var
nished above, would FIR comparison
with those of many a salon
The chief feature of the place, how
ever, is the pT0fusion of climbing roses
of which there are more than 1.5OO va
rieties. At every angle of the DalaC,
large pillars of climbing roses ascend
round an iron support to the roof ant
from spring until autumn the who'll
place is a center Of floral color ant
frangrance. Such is the abode which
King Victor Emmanuel has placed a
the disposal of his widowed mothe
and where she will in future make he
home when at Rome.