GARDENS OF ESTE AND GONZAGA PRINCES 



Francesco of Ferrara, who afterwards became general 

 of the Dominican Order, the biographer of the Beata 

 Osanna and author of a famous commentary on the 

 Summa, visited Porto in the Marchesana's absence, and 

 expressed his admiration for the beautiful country house 

 in a letter of thanks to Isabella. 



" This palace and gardens are indeed most charming, 

 and seem to me to have been laid out with the greatest 

 skill by Your Highness. Only the bitterness of my own 

 thoughts prevents me from fully enjoying these rare 

 delights. Another time, when I am in a happier state 

 of mind, I shall hope to return here and look with 

 greater attention at this house with its gardens and 

 lovely surroundings." 1 



And he goes on to explain that sorely against his wish 

 he has been appointed Prior at Ferrara, and that instead 

 of returning to his favourite studies at Milan he will be 

 compelled to undertake the management of friars, an 

 office which he disliked above all else. 



A Dominican of a very different type, Fra Matteo 

 Bandello, was a constant visitor at Porto, and has left 

 us many charming descriptions of its gardens and of 

 the excellent company which he found there. 



" It was my habit," he writes, " during the summer 

 months which I spent at Mantua to go two or three 



1 Luzio and Renier, Giornale st. d. lett. 1900. 



57 



