THOSE WHO STAY ON 

 LA KE COM O. 



CERNOBBIO'S DISTINGUISHED 

 GUESTS. 



FROM OU,? OWN COSRESPONDSNr. 



VniiA d'Bste, Ceruobbio. 

 TMs stti)6rb residence, <iu&en Of all the 

 lakes, is absolutely I'uU, and lias been so 

 for a mouth, and will ba so for many 

 weeks to come. This is as it should be. 

 It is rash to leave Como in tho iiior: 



pl.iy] 

 hillu 



and lunch at the Viila, .ind then ol.^bavX j'^' 

 on the nexFTsSot^for some" oth« place, '«'f^ST^™tsr at-th»- tack, 



haying seen aothiug, knowing nothing of t*"^ l«'of"l hills across act as a. Imrr.;; 

 the glorious scenery behind, nought of 

 tho enchanting gai'dons, the torrentiiU 

 ■waterfall above, the wondrous trees of 

 every sort, the avenue, steep and straight, 

 and of eublimo proportions from tho uoblo 

 entrance leatling to tlie grott* where 

 Hercules rules. A day is useless to ap- 

 preoiate the wealth that 'is held Withiu 

 iuid around the Villa. 



Happily, this year a change ha.s come 

 and nearly all the guests have remained 

 iere for throe or four weeks. 



Perhaps a few woi\is on the place, in- 

 eid^ and out, may not be amiss. There 

 are 4yOO rxjoms in tbe Villa, and some aro 

 of gi-eat interest. Par beyond the etately 

 restaurants ia situated Napoleon's room, 

 for he stayed here five days as guest of 

 ■General Pino. The room was upholstered 

 an shimmering yellow silk, each portion 

 Ijearing the Imperial Eagle and N. The 

 <'eilings ate richly frescoed and paiatod, 

 and electric globe* aro sot in line and 

 spacioas old bronae and woU-earved candle- 

 sticks. 



The hridge-foom, roomy and well fur- 

 nished, seems the most comfortable rooja 

 in the house, and all the tables aro booked, 

 t'veu before dinjier. 



fram one superb glflsa chandelier, so 

 brightly that the paintings are very much 

 in evidence. Huge they are, and very 

 mournful— tho " iSliipwreck of Semonides," 

 a ghastly subject; the "EaiJe of Polygene," 

 and "Agar and Her iSon in the Wilder- 

 ness,^" a ' cry pathetic picture. However, 

 the orcliestra swings along gaily, atid the 

 gocxl folk danco until they tire, and after 

 a short rest dar.co again. 



Afternoon-tea is another joyous function, 

 partaken o£ in the vast terrueo beside tha 

 lake. The tervice is prompt and excellent. 

 Amusing also are the great straw chairs, 

 enclosed like an enlal'ged sentry-box. A 

 stranger might think this a windy place 

 seeing these quaint contrivances, but tha 

 Villa d'Rslo, lojist of all plftcon, can be 

 railed windy. Just above the lake almost 

 Hip murowo.it pnrlicin being a liU' " 



BAR THAT WAS A BATHROOM. 



' The cosy har wag once the spacious batli 

 of Quften Caroline of Brunswiclc, who lived 

 here for six years from 1815. Much of hor 

 work ia lost, for many changes have beeu 

 wrought during the liaet century, as tho 

 rare folio, "Tho Villa D'hlsle,'^' printed 

 jn isa;, testihes; hut there on tho plan 

 utAndS the bath-room, the ceiling being 

 very curiously painted to represent line 



■ s ilk curtoiiiij felraiiiad by ribbons and ready 



wjjncis~l«t-.tlutter and fall as isoon as the royal 

 ■vT, lady steps Into' tha marhls tank. 



At the Villa d'Hste life goes on gaily 

 • from early morning until well on In the 



■ night. Dances aro hold nJmost ♦very 

 alight. The excellent oi-chastra plays dtir- 

 ing afternoon-tea— from 4-fl p.m.— i:her 

 after dinner a few 8«lcetlons, ait^r which 



■ it is transferred to the stately and spaci- 

 ous ball-room. ' ' 

 'i'hia great hall is lighted hy oleotrioi^y 



cade against the east. A Como wind, if 

 ever there is one, might bo feared. 



There .irn two new tennis courts be- 

 hind the hotel, excellently «audc<l, and 

 aying' very wMl, A new and largo 

 rd-room hnfl also been added, with a 

 English billiaid-table, and a new 

 rrcttch one as well. 



Walking excursions are innumerable and 

 of the best. Tho pxrellent Como tramwny 

 KtTvice is patronised, tha Annulla trip 

 being the most popular, coming from Como 

 and returning by Chiasso. and at o very 

 lodsrate cti*t, and the cheap boat eitcu 

 ons, for tho Como boat service, besidi 

 Ibeing excellent, i9 Very moderate in its 

 tariff. 



No doscriptinn of the Villa d'Eete is 

 complete without reference to the garden 

 where Sir Edward Poynter, a guest hero 

 for many years, used to paint. .The 

 avcinne len/ling from Cernobbio is com 

 poRcd of loft^v horso ohestnuts, now ir 

 bloom, revealing a pretty putting course, 

 and a sweet little hummock crowned with 



rhododendrons ai(d encircled with azah 



Palms line the front, and the garden beds 

 are rich with every sort of pan»y, cine- 

 raria and myosotis; nor must tho trellis 

 work a^round the bl-oad landing-«i.ogf/ be 

 forgotten, whenco soon the roses will cast 

 their ahado ui)oa the ■water. 



THE OAF?DENS. 



-At the tiii-n i» ft noble-looking plans 

 tree, assui'odly the oldest in liombardy. 

 Inclee<l, the gniyjcn ia no(:od ^or its plana 

 trooBi there is a Jino group of thein further 

 on, none so large or tall, but still of the 

 finest build, and, one would think, the 

 finest to bo found in such close vicinity. 

 It io diiEcult to doT-uBtice tor the- beauties 

 of tho garden, ever ascending to the hand- 

 sora« Temple of Haroulos, visible from the 

 lake. One sens the magniiiccnt entrance, 

 the steps of flnost Mcsaic, and then tho 

 long avenue, narrow, beautiful lawn grass 

 dow-n the ciontre; thence numberlens arti- 

 ficial Cflgcade.^ on stone troughs, eflch one 

 higher than Iho other. 



Ucsido the Temple of Hercules there aro 

 many chubby children supporting piliars 

 or basins, and a kindly Mmorva guarding 

 the young Telemachus. Jiaurels flourish and 

 of every species, bamboos in iluniing yoUo-w 

 also, oaks and olives, oaks and pines, cedars 

 and yews. 



There is a very comfortable English 

 church ottached, with a refiident chaplain. 



Latest arriv;ils at the Villa d'Este in- 

 clude Ixird and l.ady Bt.I^van, Lord Swan- 

 sea, Mme. Waddiugton, Admiral and Mrs. 

 Moore, Mr. !ind Mrs. P. ,S. Faynter and 



