Evening star., 1923-09-23
Commander Calderara
And His Family Added
To Diplomatic Circle
Member of Italian Embassy
Staff Able Chief in Naval
Air Service of His Country

Though the staff of the Italian en-
bassy has possessed military and
a naval attache for some years, Com
mander Mario Calderara, r. N, is the
first attache of the air service to be
affiliated with the diplomatic estab-
lishment in the permanent sense. In
every sense he is one of the most
important members of the Italian air
branch, and for Americans he will
always be a figure of supreme In
terest For when flying was still
novel performance and its military
value yet undetermined Lieut.. CAL
derara, as he was then, showed such
eminent talent that in 1909 the Ital-
ian government employed the re-
nowned Wilbur Wright to teach him
the theory which he and his brother
OrvilIe had so successfully developed.
Commander Calderara made such ex-
cellent progress that in ten lessons
Mr.. Wright pronounced him worthy
to receive the usual license granted
to flyers, and IL Is his pardonable
his license is catalogued No. l, and
that despite the gallantry and skill
which the world war brought forth
in many others. he remains the pre-
mier in reputation as well as IN the
The air commander is accompanied
to Washington by his wife, small
daughter of eight, Maria Angelica,
and son of five, Lodoylco,. and by
the mother of Signora Calderara, La
|, Contessa Maria GAMBIA Ghiselli OF
lLucca in Tuscany. They are at pres
ent at the Cairo, but the ladies are
devoting every moment toward md
ing a suitable home. probably In the
section of Connecticut avenue which
lies beyond the bridge. Signora Cal
derara desires to place the little girl
in convent day school, and Dunn
barton, the Convent of the Holy
Cross. is within easy walk OF the
residence which has pleased them
most.
Signora Calderara is the only daugh-
ter of the widowed Countess Gambia
Ghiselli. and she is as enthusiastic
flyer as her husband. She is proud
that she is the very first woman in
Italy who was courageous enough TO
enter an airplane and to take quite
an extended spin over her home at
the Baths of Lucca. It Is true that
her pilot Is now her husband, and,
though the romance was merely In
cipient and the betrothal was not to
come for nearly a year after, she felt
rara's prowess and she initiated q
very popular way for the young avi-
ators of the Italian navy to display
their. bravery and skill to their best
beloveds.
Countess Maria GAMBIA. GhiseIli. who
makes her home permanently with
her only child, Signora Calderara. is
in middle life and is OF the dignified,
handsome type, OF the Latin noble
woman, Her presence In Washington
will be to enhance the brilliancy OF
the corps during the coming season.
She comes of a historic family OF
Ayerna, tn the province of Romagna,
but In later years she has lived al
most entirely in villa which has
belonged TO her family since medieval
times. This is tilehyilia GAMBIA, In the
Baths of Lucca, that marvellous spa
of Tuscany which was renowned even
when imperial Rome ruled the world.
The Baths, a part OF the venerable
| city of Lucca. lie between ii and the
i picturesque little River Limon, and
| its grand old groves of chestnut trees
| have been famous for centuries. Villa
GAMBIA is built on q gsntle knoll
amidst one: OF the densest OF these
ichestnfit groves. and there SiEnora
| iCalderara was born and married, and
there were born the ANAL daughter