ITALIAN GARDENS OF THE RENAISSANCE 



them with her presence. For this radiant apparition 

 was none other than Isabella, the Marchioness of 

 Mantua, sister of the lamented Duchess Beatrice, who 

 had paused on the way to Monferrato to visit her 

 Milanese kinsfolk. 



Throughout her long life this typical lady of the 

 Renaissance never faltered in the ardent pursuit of 

 beauty, alike in art and nature. A prey to what 

 Count Baldassare laughingly called " the cursed love 

 of vagabondage" which flowed in the blood of the 

 Este princes, Isabella's insatiable curiosity to see and 

 hear new things prompted her to undertake frequent 

 excursions in all parts of Italy. One of her first 

 expeditions was to the Lake of Garda, where this bride 

 of fifteen summers spent some delightful days with her 

 sister-in-law, the charming Duchess of Urbino. To- 

 gether they visited the gardens of Desenzano and the 

 Roman ruins of Sermione beloved of Catullus and 

 crossed the blue waters to the enchanting Riviera di 

 Salo on the other shore. Everywhere the young 

 princesses met with the warmest reception ; the priest 

 of Toscolano made them a feast of the most delicate 

 fish on the shores of the lake, and the owners of the 

 gardens stripped their trees bare and loaded Isabella's 

 ladies with oranges and lemons. In after years the 

 Marchesa frequently returned to the shores of the lake, 

 each time with fresh delight in the beauty of the 



52 



