Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-08
FLORENCE Anr,, x 1910


cal mansions in the SUBJ
Ideal urbs Of Florence, has
uo. been restored. in the most
perfect and artistic man
ner. by an American gentleman who ex-
poets to make it his home during the
Florentine season. and enjoy there his
books. his pictures and other treasures
OF art, and the leisure he has earned by
strenuous business life in Chicago and
New York. He has introduced luxuries
into the villa that were undreAmed of by
the Fiorentines OF past generations: he
has removed the greatest obstacle to the
happiness OF Florentine life by introduce
ing steam heat and has hidden the ra-
diators SO ingeniously in the walls that
they do not intrude upon the artistic
unities. He has hot and cold water and
bathrooms. electric lights and electric
bells. French range and laundry and
every comfort and convenience that
modern ingenuity can suggest. even an
elevator, without making any Of these
innovations conspicuous. Indeed, they can
scarcely be noticed. and the tone and
harmony Of the ffteenth century archi-
lecture has In no way been impaired.
The location Is on the top of a hill.
the old city of Fiesole, 1.-The mother of
Florence" The house was formerly CALI
led La Fonte di Treviso. from an old
three-faced head of Janus which was
placed over 1t. and only changed its name
when it was bought by the learned Mat
teo Palmieri In 145O.
4 *
oSI
ing in this vicinity. Former Gov. Fletcher
Smith Of Vermont owns
American and occupies the neigh
Neighbors. Henry W. Cannon. the
New York banker. has the Villa Doccio.
which was formerly a convent. and the
Villa LAndore. where the poet. Walter
Savage Lander, passed many years OF his
unhappy life. was owned and occupied
for several successive seasons by the late
Prof Fiske of Cornell University and by
the late John Boyd Thatcher Of Albany.
who wrote his scholarly book on the dis
covery and christening of America in
that historic atmosphere. Forster. IN his
life of Lander. describes the situation
thus:
ION either side OF the Majano were laid
Boccaccio: the little streams that en-
brace it, the Affrico and the Msnsola'
were the metamorphoeed lovers in his
'Nmphale Fiesolano'; within the view
was the Villa Gherardi, before the village
the hills of Flesole. and at Its feet the
Valley of the Ladies. Every spot around
was an iliustrious memory. To the left.
the house OF Machiavelli; still farther
in that direction, nesting amid the blue
hills, the white village of Settignano,
where Michelangeio was born; on the
banks of the neighbortng Mugnone, the
house Of Dante, and In the BACKGROUND
Gaiileo's villa OF Arcetri and the palaces
and cathedral of Florence"
But the most interesting association of the
Villa Palmieri Is with Boccaccto ana the
"Decameron." for here those remarkable
seven young women and the three re-
markable young men came at the time
Of the great plague in 1S4s, as described
in that ,Ssx r.t toaS 10
the villa Of Pogslo Gherardo. which Is
now the home OF Janet Ross. author OF
a monumental work on Fforentine villas,
and remained there two days They then
came to the villa Palmieri. and spent
twelve days And during that time the
adventures described in the "DecamerOn"
occurred. There IL description OF the
villa and grounds in the narrative OF the
Third Day. Boccaccio says:
-
The queen led them to a most beautiful
and sumptuous palace. situated some
what above the plain on
Boccaccio's 4 small hill. They en-
Description.iie.F e and an SEEM" s"' the large
halls. the clearly and we'll decorated bed
chambers, completely furnished with all
that pertained thereunto. their praise
was unstinted and they reputed the owner
to be rich and magnificent. Then de-
scending and seeing the vast and pleas
ant courtyards Of the palace. with eel
;ars stocked with most excellent wines
and capacious springs of coolest water,
they commended the place all the more
highly. DESTROYS Of repose, they seated
themselves in loggia overlooking the
courtyard. every place being covered
with flowers pertaining to that season
and with greenery, and the courteous
steward came forward to welcome them
and offered rich and dainty sweetmeats
and rare wines for their refreshment.
The lovely gardens, with persole vines
laden with punches Of grapes and beds
Of jessamine and crimson roses, the
carved marble fountains whose over
flow Of water was conducted by cunning
ly devised underground tunnels down TO
the plain, where it turned two mills. to
the great profit Of the lord Of the val
ley"
This description answers very we'll to-
day, except that the lord of the valley
Is a cultured American gentleman OF re-
firing disposition, who now oners SINH
lar hospit atty to his friends, and II you
were to glance over his visitors book You
would see many familiar names of people
from New York, Chicago, Washington
The two mills mentioned by Roccaccio
were destroyed by food in 14O0 and re-
built In 1410
The villa Is rectangular building or
forty or fifty rooms surrounding large
courtyard, in which there IL fountain
and an ancient we'll, and IT opens south
ward upon an old-fashioned terrace and
an Italian garden, such as you read about
I'm novels The terrace Is approached
through a ieggia colonnade which was
built by Matteo Palmieri in 1469. The
eastern end of the house is the oldest part
and was built in 1850 by the Fini family:
and extended in 1850 by the Solosmei
family, and other rooms were added by
the Palmieris, beginning with l454. The
most modern construction was In the
eariy part OF the seventeenth century.
The Fini family. who were the original
owners. were quiet people. absorbed In
literary pursuits. Its only representative
of importance in Florentine history was
Clone al Fini. whose name is entered on
the books Of the Guild OF Linen Weavers
Tn 134S. when Boccaccio wrote the De-
cameron there, the villa still belonged to
the Fini family. Boccaccio was born IN
paris in 1919 and died In Italy In 1910.
uIs father wanted him to be a merchant,