The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-06-27
Former Georgia Girl Will Out
rank Every American Girl Who
Has Ever Married Italian.
BY La MARauIsE DE FoNrENoY.

BY LA MARaUIsE DE FoNTENOY.
| ROM Rome comes the report OF
the engagement of the widowed
American Princess Eugene Rus
poh TO Don Philip Orsini. nineteenth
Duke of Grav!na. Prince o. the Holy
Roman Empire. and head Of the his
toric house OF Ors.ni Princess Rus
poll. who, as wife Of Don Philip Or
SIM, Will outrank every other Ameri-
can woman VINO has evur married an
Italian. was formerly Miss Eugene
Berry, or Oakhill. Ga. was married en-
prem!eres noces 10 very wealthy
tobacco grower OF the South. Of the
name OF Bruton. who on his death left
her his large fortune. She thereupon
married at Washington, in 1902, tho
late Prince Ensico Ruspoli, when he
was attached 20 the Italian embassy
there. Cardiua! Martineui, then the
apostolic delegate in the United
States. performing the ceremony.
This marriage was not altogether a
happy one. and when Don Enrico Rus
poll died, ii was found that he had
bequeathed his fine residence at Rome
and the castle Of Nemi purchased. re-
stored and furnished with her money,
TO his brother Bartolomeo.
The castle is one Of the most oele-
brated OF the great medieval ortresses
OF Italy, perched on a cliff overlook
ing the Lake Neni. which was known
TO the anc!ents as Diana's Mirror Its
battlements and towers, taken in CON
junction with the lake, form a superb
picture familiar TO almost every
American tourist The large pile as
II stands to-day was built by the
Frangipanis. whose stronghold 1t be-
10 f.l. S,.
force by the Orsin!s who held II for
some hundreds Of years. and who are
now about to recover possession there
O: through the marriage of Don
Philip TO Princess Eugene Ruspoli.
The Colonnas captured IL from the Or.
SIMS, and from them II passed, al
ways by violence. TO the Piccolomini,
the Ccnc!. etc, until about forty years
ag" 1t was purchased pcaceably by the
Torlonias
But the peasantry on the estate re-
fused 10 have anything TO do with
such parvcnus as the Torlonias. &C
customed as they had been from time
immemorial to be ruled over by pa
tricians CT ancient lineage. Tho Tor
lonias had nothing but trouble with
the place. AMI were glad to get rid OF
II by sale to Princess Eugene Rus
poll. who speat large sums in restor-
conHeniences, comforts and Injuries,
making II her principal home. Nat
uraliy, the princess contested the VIII
of he- husband, recovered all her prop
erty, and finally won her case.
Don Philip Orsini is a very hnc
looking man of sixty nine. with a long
snow white beard. who lost his wife.
a Countess Hoyos of Hungary (sister
of the Count Hoyos who spent a num-
hn,- 81 W. Ia.
TRAN envoy. in 1903. She had for
years been separated from her hus-
band. who by almost insane extrava-
Garce and by reckless speculation. es-
peciallT in Roman real estate had al
most wholly wrecked the once gran
diose fortune of his house. Indeed
he was placed under judicial tutolagc,
the remnants OF his property being
vested in the hands OF trustees. and
he was suspended from the exercise
of his hereditary office as prince as
sistant OF the Holy Seat. which the
head Of the house OF Osini has shared
for hundreds OF years with the CHER
of the house OF Colonna These two
offices of prince assistant OF the Holy
Seat are the principal lay dignities
of the papacy.
Don Philips marriage TO Princess
Eugene Ruspoli Will have the effect
OF pIdGlHS MIN once more his nnan-
cial feet and ii is possible that in
that event Plus " may restore to him
his prerosatives as prince assistant
of the Holy Seat. more especially as
the new head of the house of Colonna
has declined 10 sacrifice his seat In
the Senate and his commission In the
Italian army, which it would be neccs-
sary for him to do before taking I'D
his duties at the Vatican.
Don Philip is descended in a direct
male line from Orsus Orsini, who was
Senator OF Rome at the time of tho
First Crusade Indeed, from that time
forth until Rome became the capital
OF United Italy, there has been no pa
trician house, save that of Colonna,
which has been so intimately identi-
fed with the fortunes OF the Eternal
City. as that OF .Orsin, which has FUR
nished several Popes TO the Catholic
Church notably. Stephen H.. who
reigned in the middle of the eighth
century, Nicholas Ill, and Beneoscr
w In olden times tho Colonnas
and the orsinis were always at war
with one another. ard their respective
palaces were fortresses. all Rome be.
ing divided into two camps by their
rivalry. The Orsinis have still the
right of styling themselves cousins
of the sovereign, at the courts OF the
Quirinal. Dresden, Brussels. Madrid
and Vienna. and possessed similar
preroSatves in France when the lat
ter was still n monarchy
In the days OF Plus IN the OrsinI
palace in the Via Monte Savello, was
one Of the ceDtres of social life OF the
great world, and renowned throughout
Europe for its priceless treasures or
art and history. 1t is still one OF the
landmarks of the Eternal City. ana
rises from the ruins of that Marcellus
Theatre which was built by Emperor
Augustus in memory of his favorite
nephew. But the contents OF the pal
ace havo been dispersed. even the very
archives OF the house. covering q
period considerably over n thousand