Re: Italian med gardens
- Subject: Re: Italian med gardens
- From: J* S*
- Date: Mon, 21 May 2001 20:49:14 -0700
Big THANKYOU to Alessandra,
For your beautiful evocation of Ninfa! It brought back that beautiful
June day in 1999 when you took our group through the garden. Your love
of it shone through in every detail that you shared with us. I remember
marking in my notes, the roses you yourself had planted so long ago.
In my research to prepare for a slide talk on Ninfa, I discovered
another reason Ninfa is +not+ a mediterranean garden! It was largely
created by two Engish and one American women. And the "English style"
was never far from their mind(s). Even though they married Caetanis, the
noble Italian family that descended from the first buyer, Pope Boniface
VIII, their children were certainly "multi-national" as most of us are
today!
The one I was most impressed by was Prince Gelasio Caetani, the
engineer. Truly a brilliant man, he was a mining engineer in San
Francisco during it's boom days, a remarkable hero during the first
World War, Italian Ambassador to the U.S. in 1912, and most importantly,
responsible for draining the "dreaded" (Malaria infested) Pontine
marshes in order to create rich agricultural land, still important to
the Italian economy today. The books say he planted the great trees
that we walked under that day: Magnolia grandiflora, Quercus ilex, black
walnuts and cypress. He created a family history and told of the 12the
century battle that destroyed the town and most of it's citizens: "While
digging among the ruins to plant fruit trees or roses, I have always
come across such an amazing quantity of human bones everywhere; in the
streets, in the courtyards, and in the houses themselves."
And, perhaps, that is another reason everything grows to such perfection
at Ninfa. The magic has worked on many an artist, from the German
,Augustus Hare to the painter ,Edward Lear, and anyone interested in
history, art or literature, as well as mythology, will be captured by
it, imprinted and never let free from its images.
Because of the mention of author Georgio Bassini writing portions of his
book while staying with the Howards at Ninfa, I had to read it (English
translation, I'm sure). Although the bitter-sweet tale is set in
Ferrara, the descriptions of the garden; enclosed, set apart in a world
of its own where the reality of the Nazi empire does not exist, ring
with the feelings created by Ninfa. So, do read "Garden of the
Finzi-Contini" as recommended by Alessandra if you ever plan to visit.
Also "The Garden of Ninfa" by Marella Caracciolo and Guippi Pietromarchi
with photographs by Marella Agnelli, published by Umberto Allemandi & C.
will prepare you for the enchantment, the haunting that will stay with
you forever!
Thankyou again Alessandra, for your day spent with us at Ninfa, for your
explanations, your insights, but really, your infectious joy in this
garden!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jan Smithen,
Upland, California
jansmithen@earthlink.net
Sunset zone : 19
USDA zone : 10
http://home.earthlink.net/~jansmithen/
Visit the Los Angeles County Arboretum
Victorian Rose Garden website at:
http://victorian-rose.org/
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