"My experiences of Florence were chiefly unpleasant. I will change the subject." Mark Twain, Innocents Abroad
"Villa Viviani"
1892-1893
picture courtesy of Villa Viviani website
"The
situation of the villa was perfect.
It was three miles from
Florence, on the side of a hill...to see the sun
sink down, drowned on his pink and purple and golden floods, and overwhelm Florence with tides of color
that make all the sharp lines dim and faint and turn the solid city to a city of dreams, is a sight to stir the coldest
nature and make a sympathetic one drunk with ecstasy...This is a two story house...Outside, it is a plain square
building like a box and is painted a light yellow and has green window shutters. It stands in a commanding
position on an artifical terrace of liberal dimentions which is walled around with strong masonry. From the walls
the vineyards and olive orchards of the estate slant away toward the valley; the garden about the house is stocked
with flowers and a convention of lemon bushes in great crockery tubs; there are several tall trees--stately stone pines--
also fig trees and trees of breeds not familiar to me; roses overflow the retaining walls and the battered mossy stone
urns on the gateposts in pink and yellow cataracts...there are gravel walks shut in by tall laurel hedges. A back corner
of the terrace is occupied by a dense grove of old ilex trees. There is a stone table in there with stone benches all
around it. No shaft of sunlight can penetrate that grove." Autobiography, 342-344
sink down, drowned on his pink and purple and golden floods, and overwhelm Florence with tides of color
that make all the sharp lines dim and faint and turn the solid city to a city of dreams, is a sight to stir the coldest
nature and make a sympathetic one drunk with ecstasy...This is a two story house...Outside, it is a plain square
building like a box and is painted a light yellow and has green window shutters. It stands in a commanding
position on an artifical terrace of liberal dimentions which is walled around with strong masonry. From the walls
the vineyards and olive orchards of the estate slant away toward the valley; the garden about the house is stocked
with flowers and a convention of lemon bushes in great crockery tubs; there are several tall trees--stately stone pines--
also fig trees and trees of breeds not familiar to me; roses overflow the retaining walls and the battered mossy stone
urns on the gateposts in pink and yellow cataracts...there are gravel walks shut in by tall laurel hedges. A back corner
of the terrace is occupied by a dense grove of old ilex trees. There is a stone table in there with stone benches all
around it. No shaft of sunlight can penetrate that grove." Autobiography, 342-344
"Villa di Quarto"
1903-1904
