The Diary of Heinrich Witt
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The Diary of Heinrich Witt Volume 3 Edited by Ulrich Mücke LEIDEN | BOSTON Ulrich Muecke - 9789004307247 Downloaded from Brill.com10/10/2021 12:26:19PM via free access [1] [2] Volume the Third Commenced in Lima, December the 29th 1869. Continuation of Saturday, 21st of December 1844. At one Oclock the steamer “Il triano” got under weigh; it was crowded with passengers mostly of the second class, of whom there were so many that they could not possibly keep within their limits, but trespassed upon that part of the deck reserved for first class passengers, amongst them were five Capuchin friars with their long beards and coarse brown cloaks, barelegged and sandalled. A pretty strought wind which blew into our face, rendered it rather cold on deck nevertheless, I did not go below, for I was desirous to see the shores of the Como Lake, which for their beauty are far famed, and deserved their reputation even in the present unfavorable season, for, as already said, the snow had melted, and not only solitary houses, but villages, covered the sides of the hills which slope to the waters edge. Kellers map gives the names of these different places; we had hardly passed Tremezzo, when I observed a very handsome Palace-like building which I supposed to be La Villa Sommariva, and so it was. The steamer stopped at Cadenabbia where I went on shore, close to the Lake is a neat recently built hotel which I entered, and ordered dinner to be ready for my return, for it was getting late, and I had to visit the said villa situated at a very short distance from Cadenabbia. A broad flight of the stone steps ascends from the Lake; another flight of steps, to a [_]on handsome railing inside of which is a small pond, with a [_] [3] Triton spouting water; a few steps more lead-up to the Villa; in front of the same, the trees and bushes are, for the greater part, evergreens, Laurel and Box; Rose bushes had their green leaves; the flowers were in blossom, which proved that mildness of the climate on the banks of the lake, sheltered as they are against the Northern winds by the surrounding hills. Along the wall of a round vestibule which is the first apartment one enters, is sculptured in bas-relief the famous triumphal entrance of Alexand[er] into Babylone, of which I had seen a copy in Copenhague (see Page 552 of the Volume II of these extracts) and here I experienced an actual pleasure, when I found that many, if not all, the figures seen and admired there, were still vivid in my recollection. Here, the figures succeed each other in their proper order, so that I could form a clear idea of the entire plan and meaning, which I was unable to do in Copenhague. On the left side, close to the entrance the first figure is that of an old man, an angler in the river; then, a boat filled with rowers in expectation of the Conqueror to convey him over; further-on, the river God Euphrates; after whom a number of figures who meet Alexander with their © koninklijke brill nv, leiden, ���6 | doi ��.��63/9789004307�47_00� This is an open access chapter distributed under the terms of the prevailing CC-BY-NC License at the time of publication. Ulrich Muecke - 9789004307247 Downloaded from Brill.com10/10/2021 12:26:19PM via free access 2 the diary of heinrich witt various offerings, and who are the last in the half circle which extends from the entrance to the point opposite the same. On the other, the right side, Alexander in a Car (not as I have said page 552 volume the II, riding his war horse), led by victory, opens the procession, he is followed by Bucephalus without a rider; next, his Generals and warriors, all on their horses; also an Elephant, close to which walks a captive King; to the two last figures exactly opposite Alexander, Thorwaldsen has given the features of the old Count Sommariva, and his own. In this vestibule stands a group of Mars and Venus by a pupil of Canova; he a fine, powerful, threatening figure; she, a miserable little girl without any womanly fullness or roundness. In another apartment, I much admired a bas- relief by Thorwaldsen representing the triumph of Bacchus; a drunken faun is exquisite. By the same master there were the busts of Christian VIII of Denmark and his spouse, the beautiful Princess of Holstein Sondenburg Augustemburg, sculptured before their accession to the throne. By Canova, Amor and Psyche, both the loveliest faces imaginable, Psyche is [_]clining, Amor leaning over her. Palamedes, a severe manly [4] figure, a short straight sword in his hand. The cast of the repentant Magdelaine, a personification of Contrition; the original exits in the Museum of Prince Von Leutchtemberg in Munich. Of the pictures, I was most pleased with a portrait of Charles V by Van Dyck. Upon one of the ceilings, are painted al fresco Amor and Psyche. Up-stairs a vast saloon was hung with paintings by modern French painters, amongst which the portrait of a French Lady “La amica del Conte”. There were finally a few paintings by Flemish masters. The floors are laid in [_] mosaic; the building itself is three stories high. Owing to the late departure of the steamer from Como, I had arrived at Cadenabbia later than I should have done, consequently, I had not sufficient time for a careful visit to the villa, as darkness was fast setting-in, I was obliged to hurry through the apartments more rapidly than I should have done. I had merely a few moments to walk about in the Garden filled with evergreens, returned to the hotel, dined, and the weather being mild, and the night, moonlight, promenaded for an hour and a half along the narrow road between the waters of the Lake and the vine covered hills, mulberry-trees growing at intervals. It was a delightful evening, and I much enjoyed my walk, before going to bed, I wrote my memoranda. La Villa di Sommariva was sold about the middle of the year 1844 by the grand children of the old Count, who had collected the treasures of art which it contains, together with the grounds, the vineyards and Mulberry-trees, to the Princess of Orange sister of the King of holland (in 1844) married to one of the Princes of Prussia, for seven hundred and odd thousands, say: seven hundred and fifty thousand zwanzigers, or two hundred and fifty thousand Austrian Florins, coin, equal to one hundred and seventy thousand Peruvian dollars, very cheap in my opinion. The old Count Ulrich Muecke - 9789004307247 Downloaded from Brill.com10/10/2021 12:26:19PM via free access Volume 3 3 had died, so had his son, and his heirs, of whom there were many, were anxious to realize the property. Sunday, 22nd of December 1844. A “napoleon d’or” is equal to twenty eight Milanese lire; one Milanese Lira, equal to twenty Soldi, one Franc, equal to twenty eight Soldi. Having settled [_] [5] bill, which came to seven Milanese Lire, four Soldi, and twelve Soldis to the servants, I engaged two boatmen to row me across; first, to the peninsula which divides the Lake of Lecco from the Lake of Como; afterwards, to Varenna on the Eastern side of the Como Lake. It being Sunday, the two men were in their gala dress, and looked quite smart. The one with a red waistcoat, the other with a red cap and tassel to it. It was nine Oclock when we left Cadenabbia; the weather was mild, the sky cloudy, in a short time I was landed at “La Villa Melzi” which lies at the foot of the said peninsula: the “Custode” which is the Italian for the French “Concierge”, showed me to the Chapel in the Garden, a small tasteful building; above the altar stands a marble statue of Christ, of human size, a cross in his right arm; a fine production, though entirely different from Thorwaldsen’s Christ in our Lady’s Church in Copenhague. Thorwaldsen’s is a personification of Divinity; this, the expression of suffering and resignation. In the same Chapel, a monument is erected in memory of the Duke di Melzi, who was for some time Vice-Roy of Italy in the first years of Napoleon’s reign, and who is mentioned in Botta’s history. Upon this monument, his portrait is sculptured in bas-relief; above the same is a weeping figure in a reclining posture, below various allegorical figures, all in bas-relief. Through the garden protected against the Lake by a stone quay with an iron balustrade, the Custode accompanied me to the Villa itself, whose exterior is plain and unpretending; the floors in the first story are laid-in with mosaic; in a large hall are ranged a considerable number of white marble busts upon black marble pedestals, amongst which three Bacchantes were particularly pointed out to me by my Cicerone, two of them with vine leaves in the hair, had the true look of inebriety, whilst, the appearance of the third, was the modest and bashful that I felt confident my guide must have been mistaken in calling her a follower of the vine loving God. There were the busts of Elisa, Napoleons sister married to Felix Pascal Bacchiocci Prince of Lucca and Piombino, and of Alexander I of Russia, which latter did by no means come up to my expectations; they had been raised too high by the encomium which the Russian officers who in 1814 were billeted in my mothers house in Altona, used to pass on the beauty of their beloved Emperor, and which [_]ugh, so many years had elapsed since, I had not forgotten; [6] one of Napoleon Buonaparte; when twenty eight years of age, he was General of the army of Italy, which is interesting for the little ressemblance that can be traced between these features, and those of the well known and often repeated Ulrich Muecke - 9789004307247 Downloaded from Brill.com10/10/2021 12:26:19PM via free access 4 the diary of heinrich witt portrait of Napoleon when Emperor; also a bust of the Old Duke di Melzi, a very expressive face; another of his son, the father of the present proprietor, with repulsive features; of Euripides, Sophocles, Homer, and many others which I have not been able to recollect.