Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-20
FARMLAND PALACE
CHARLOTTE'S HOME
"Mad' Empress Lived in
Great SpIendor Before She
Went to Mexico.

The death of Charlotte. former EN-
press of Mexico. one of the most tragic
ngures in history, calls to miSd the
famous Castle Of Miramar where the
Few happy years of her life were
spent wan her husband. Macmillan.
before they sailed away to Mexico.
one to fall before a firing squad and
the other to become hopelessly insane
In their wonderful castle by the sea
near Trieste Chen Austria, now Italy)
Archduke Macmillan. brother of the
Emperor of Austria and Carlota
daughter of the King of Belgium. lived
Tor six or seven years after their mar
riage amid the luxury and marvellous
beapty of a fairyland.
staff representative of the Ma
tionaI Geographic Society. who re
Gently visited Miramar, writes of the
estate as follows in a communication
which the society has issued as a
bulletin:
zone might suspect that the ap-
proach to Miramar was staged to set
CT the .love.iness of that bit of won
uerland. If he were not entirely sure
that 1t can stand alone without aids
as one OF the most beautiful pleasure
estates In Europe" says the bulletin.
Highway Along Sea,
80 AA6 AtNdA OVER NIlIil one IildhcS
the five or six mile ride to Miramar
by charabancs runs along the sea, and
at the time of my visit was dusty and
rutty. Seward the view was delight
ful but the bluffs on the other side,
mixture of rocks and soil mostly bare
OF vegetation, gave an aspect of dreari-
ness and unloveliness to the land.
Then / passed suddenly through
the gateway into the estate of Mira
IA. a. Il k@a
pressive. The setting must have had
in it great possibilities even before it
was improved, but much of the beauty
today flows undoubtedly from the
work of skillful landscapes who were
put to work with imperial Austrian
funds in 1854, when Macmillan was
getting this wonderland ready for his
princess. A great ridge sweeps down
from the top of the Karst. perhaps
thousand feet above, and thrusts its
point out into the sea.
In contrast to the bare slopes
nearby, this ridge is covered with
evergreens of a deep, rich hue, and on
the tip of it Macmillan raised his
castle, part of it virtually hanging
over the sea. On the side farthest
from Trieste is an idyllic little harbor |
with its miniature breakwaters. The |
tower of the castle rises sheerly on
the sea side to a height of more than |
a hundred feet It, as well as the |
rest of the castle, is of white marble, |
which CLEANS on one side against the |
deep blue Adriatic and on the other |
against the dark green Expresses.
Witchery Lies in Gardens.
The castle itself is most attractive. !
but the real witchery of Miramar lies |
in its wondrous gardens and in the |
that are to be had from each of the |
windows and many of the hooks of |
the grounds. Pergolas and arbors |
which might be measured almost by
the acre spread over an amphitheater |
like space that runs inland along a
sort of bay in the ridge.
Much of the level ground was I'M |
doubtedly made laboriously by the |
hand OF man. There are avenues of I
frs and various hedge plants; winding
paths, Summer houses, benches and
brlDad marble steps with heavy balus-
trades, masses of westaria, formal |
plots of roses. geraniums, nastur-
tiums, palms and ornamental grasses; /
fountains. ponds, stone vases and urns
and exquisite little statuettes backed |
by glossy green leaves. These gar
dens are cared for as meticulously by |
the staff of Italian gardeners of today /
as ever tney cOuIu nave De4n Dy the /
most careful of Austrians.
Beyond the tiny harbor is little
bathhouse. In front of it the rough |
est of powders that line the shore |
have been cleared away, leaving a |
delightful little beach of shingle. !
There Archduchess Charlotte during !
the brief days of her happiness bathed |
with her ladies-in-waiting.
Seaside Attractive.
THE seaside of Miramar presents
one Of its most attractive aspects. A
narrow balcony skirts the outer wall
and from this little bracketed ex-
tensions hang directly over the water.
On smaller brackets below the bal
cony are pots of ornamental plants.
Ones ears are met by the constant
cheerful tapping of the waves of the
Adriatic as they swish past outlying
powders and by the staccato click
of the bits of shingle as they are
turned over against their fellows.
"One's first impression Of the in /!
terror Of Miramar is disappointing.
He enters narrw. colorless hall, not |
very different from halls which he !
might find in the homes of well-to-do !
Teutonic farmers. When he has !
passed through a small door at one |