PATRICIA OSMOND / 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"

Patricia Osmond
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", 2024
Paperback with flaps, 32 pages
17.1 x 23.8 cm
Centro Di

Most of what we know about Villa Gamberaia between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries is based on the figures of two women: the Romanian princess Catherine Jeanne Ghyka, who purchased the villa in 1896, and her companion, the American artist Florence Blood. This information comes primarily from the writings left by Mary and Bernard Berenson and other neighbors in the Settignano hills, through letters and diaries now preserved in various archives. Undoubtedly, these sources offer a subjective and partial view expressed by their authors, but it is equally true that through these stories (and the gossip exchanged therein) we are able to grasp a precious image of the life and personality of the princess and Miss Blood, as well as of the various people who, attracted by the extraordinary beauty of the place, frequented the Gamberaia at the time, which Berenson considered a beacon of his life for years.

On the hillsides of Fiesole and Settignano, overlooking the city of Florence, the beautiful villas and gardens evoke memories of their former owners and residents—many of them American, British, and European women expatriates who made their homes here in the late 1800s and early 1900s, attracted by Florence’s artistic treasures, the Renaissance ideal of villa life, and the quiet, harmonious landscape. This series Our Hillsides. Women Expatriates and Their Villas and Gardens on the Hills of Florence 1890-1950 aims to revive and enrich these memories by recounting the stories of a group of independent and talented women: Mary Berenson, Catherine Jeanne Ghyka, Florence Blood, Vernon Lee, and Nina Auzias Stein. Drawn chiefly from contemporary sources—letters and diaries, novels and poetry, drawings and photographs—preserved in library and archival collections across the continents, much of this material is published now for the first time.

Although there are notable exceptions, most of the women expats in our group belonged to a well-educated and well-traveled élite, intent on pursuing their interests in art, literature, philosophy, or music while enjoying the teas, dinners, and social connections offered by what Mary Berenson called "our hillside". But our sources also provide fresh insights into their personalities, friendships, romances, and rivalries, as well as the challenges of managing their households and designing and caring for their gardens. Moreover, in the years following World War I, we see the disruptive effects of national and international events on their hitherto relatively tranquil and secure lives, and during World War II, the severe hardships and life-threatening dangers endured by those who could not leave their hillside homes or who, despite all, chose stoically to remain.