Princess Ghyka and Miss Florence Blood at the Gamberaia. Stories from the Letters and Diaries of Mary and Bernard Berenson and of Other Neighbors, Friends, and Visitors on "Our Hillside"
Princess Ghyka and Miss Florence Blood at the Gamberaia. Stories from the Letters and Diaries of Mary and Bernard Berenson and of Other Neighbors, Friends, and Visitors on "Our Hillside"
| Author | Patricia Osmond |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Centro Di |
| ISBN | 9788870385861 |
| Idea Code | 24514 |
On the hillsides of Fiesole and Settignano, overlooking Florence, beautiful villas and gardens recall their former American, British, and European expatriate residents from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Attracted by Florence’s artistic treasures and the Renaissance ideal of villa life, these independent and talented women made their homes here. The series ‘Our Hillsides’ aims to revive and enrich their memories by recounting their stories. Our understanding of Villa Gamberaia in the late 1800s and early 1900s largely revolves around two women: Romanian Princess Catherine Jeanne Ghyka, who bought the villa in 1896, and her companion, American artist Florence Blood, the focus of the second book in the series. Much of what we know comes from the writings of Mary and Bernard Berenson and other neighbors from Settignano, especially letters and diaries preserved in various archives. While these sources reflect the authors' interests and biases, they provide rare insights into the lives of the princess and Miss Blood, the artists and writers who visited the villa, and the allure of its gardens and landscape. For years, as Bernard Berenson noted, the Gamberaia remained a beacon in his life.
| 32 p, ills colour & bw, 17 x 24 cm, pb, English |
Centro Di
