Evening star., 1952-09-21
Exclusively Yours
Visit To Medieval Castle Of francesca
And PooIo; Rossos Hosts in Florence
By Betty BeoIe

DSA
ITALY.-If born and bred in
America and accustomed to the
comparative newness therein,
it's an exciting, history -throb-
bing experience to spend the
night in the medieval castle that
once housed Francesca di Rimini
and Lucretia Borgia. Now oc-
cupied by Signor and Signora
Antonio Natalie Of the Italian
Embassy in Washington, La
Rocca di Gradara. which was ac-
quired by the latter's father in
1917 and subsequently restored,
looks today inside and out ex-
actly as it did in medieval times.
The sombre. massive, forbid
ding fortress is where Francesca
di Rimini poured out her heart
to her true love. Paolo, brother
OF her deformed husband, Clio
vanni Malatesta. Dante i'm
mortalized the unhappy lovers
in his Divine Comedy: CEN
turies later D'Annunzio lent his
magic pen to the poignant tale;
Zandonai wrote an opera about
it, and a few nights ago I slum-
bered peacefully not far from
Francesca's room the night be-
fore the anniversary of the vio-
lent death the two met in the
castle at the hands of the jealous
husband in the year 1885.
Happily that information
about the anniversary didn't
crop up till the next day, be-
cause it's difficult if not i'm
possible to sleep in your bed
while quaking in your boots.
The handful of Gradara vii
layers who are protected by the
outer wall of the castle, say that
the ghost of Francesca walks the
turreted ramparts on the nights
OF full moon. It's a cinch that
the anniversary of her murder
must induce some extra prone
nading, and besides. the moon
couldn't have been fuller.
Fortress on q Hill
BY now the Italian Am
baSsador and Signora Tarchiani.
who were due to arrive on the
18th, have visited the Rocca
which is the same castle you
saw from the outside in Tyrone
Powers fine film. Prince of
Foxes" The stone fortress sits
in solitary splendor on top of
a hill where it commands an
uninhibited view of the sur
rounding valley and of the Adri-
attic shoreline and Rimini in the
distance. To approach it one
must pass through the enormous
gates of the outer wall, under the
arched gates of the inner wall.
over the drawbridge and finally
under the spiked latticed iron
gate that can be dropped down
to close the entrance to the
castle courtyard. At any one of
these entrances in the old days,
one couldn't help noticing cheer
fully, beSiegers could have had
hot oil poured over them.
Members of the Malatesta
family and the Sforza family
into which Lucretia Borgia was
married in the 18th century,
didn't treat Gradara enemies too
well. Deep in the tower the tor
ture chamber apparently had
only one entrance and one exit.
From the pit right in the cham
ber were carted II wagon loads
of human bones when the castle
was restored. 1t was cemented
over and blessed Immediately
afterwards.
The most beautifully decorated
room in the Rocca is the little
chapel which boasts an exquisite,
unmarried della Robbia, the
largest in the world. Handsomely
appointed throughout with au-
thentic furnishings of its own
periods so that it looks today ex-
actly as it did in Francesca's
and Lucretia's times, the castle
serves today as a fascinating
summer residence for it's owners
who have a stream of house,
guests during the vacation
months. The Felice Catalanos.
who left the Italian Embassy
last spring. and the Roberto Ric-
cards. who Joined it last year.
both visited there around the
end Of August.
Florentine ViIIo
To go from Gradara to the
beautiful F1orentine villa of the
popular former italian Ambas-
sador to the United States Au-
guStO ROSSo and his 1ovelv Amer.