Heroines of Genoa and the Rivieras (1911) (14581209778)

Identifier: heroinesofgenoar00stal (find matches)
Title: Heroines of Genoa and the Rivieras
Year: 1911 (1910s)
Authors: Staley, Edgcumbe, b. 1845
Subjects: Women -- Italy Genoa Genoa (Italy) -- History Riviera (France)
Publisher: London, T. W. Laurie
Contributing Library: Northeastern University, Snell Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Northeastern University, Snell Library



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na Gastadenghi—she sang andplayed the folk-songs of Liguria ; Leonora Ciboand Pellegrina Lescara, sweet translators ofthe Mneid of Virgil and the Odes of Horace.Each villa and villa garden had their specialattractions and special coteries. The VillaDurazzo, on the way to the Polcevera, wasfamed for its unique waterworks, its massesof fruit trees, its terraces with statuary, itsfish-ponds and its grassy lawns. Two splendidemblematical statues adorned the plateau— Polcevera and Bisagno. The villa itselfwas of marble, with frescoes by Gregorio Deffer-rari and Domenico Piola. In the bijou VillaDurazzo dello Scoglietto lived Marchesa Luc-rezia Porretto, learned in divinity and physicalscience, and much given to charity. Beauti-fully decorated by Niccolo Traverso, it wasremarkable for its marble staircases and itsrange of immense cedars. The Durazzo Villaat Cornigliano had wonderful beds of exoticflowers and borders of rare plants. Song birdsand graceful animals were to be heard and 196
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THE BATH OF DIANA IN A VILLA GARDEN. AFTER A STIPPLE ENGRAVING. T. Stothard, R.A. Augusto Fox. Villas and Villa Gardens seen in the groves, and the Marchesa Benedettahad a museum of stuffed animals quite unique inLiguria. The Villa Cattaneo, formally Lomellini, atPegli, at the foot of Monte Olivieto, was builtin 1760 by one of the last Doges of Genoa—Agostino Lomellini. He was famous in theworld of politics, letters and science. The villahad frescoes by Bernardo Castello, and thegardens had grottoes, temples, statues andfountains galore. Here the Cattanei beauties,whose portraits hang in jealous seclusion in thegreat palace in Genoa, spent happy days,although many a fair dame had her trials aswell. The Pallavicini were great lovers of thebeauties of nature, as they were of most otherlovely objects—women in particular—they pos-sessed several villas with charming gardens.They were a Lombardo-Teutonic family, alliedwith the Vivaldi, Gentileschi, Salvaghi, andothers from the north,