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Document number: 2738
Date: Sep 1833
Dating: estimated date
Recipient: TALBOT William Henry Fox
Author: EDGCUMBE Caroline Augusta, née Feilding
Collection: British Library, London, Manuscripts - Fox Talbot Collection
Last updated: 14th June 2014

Varese
Albergo della Stella

My dear Henry

How delightful it is to feel oneself once more in Italy! what I have longed for for so many years! We arrived last night & your letter was brought to me this morning. Luckily the post goes today to Cadenabbia<1> so no time need be lost – Make haste & come – We have settled to stay here a week, but longer than that we cannot yet decide upon – that must depend upon circumstances. Shall we secure an apartment for you in this hotel? there is a vacant one very good – or at the Angiolo which is less noisy? for It may be necessary, as Varese seems a place of greater resort than formerly – When I told the man here that I was one of quella famiglia Inglese who had inhabited the Villa Serbelloni 10 years ago,<2> he opened his eyes with astonishment, & exclaimed: Come! è proprio lei!- <3>

By waiting two rainy days on the road, one at Balzers & one at Coire, whe we had a most delightful & prosperous journey over the S. Bernardino,<4> instead of crossing in the clouds & seeing nothing –

addio – yr affly
Caroline

If you do not come directly, write word whether we shall secure the apartment I mentioned – they are very good rooms – a very large double bedded room, a large room next to it & another excellent bed room further on, they are intercalés with ours; (besides a salon, or our’s) only write immediately, or rather come immediately – I am afraid we shall not stay longer than a week; Ld V. <5> is not inclined I think for more, & we ought to be at Nice early in November, besides lots of things to see on the road –
Do come –

[address panel:]
Monsieur
Monsieur Talbot
Albergo di Mella
alla Cadenabbia
sul Lago di Como
Milano <6>

Notes:

1. Cadenabbia is on the western shore of Lake Como.

2. 'That English family.' In 1823, Lady Elisabeth and Charles Feilding enjoyed a three month stay at the Villa Serbelloni where they were joined by WHFT. The Villa Serbelloni is in Varese, in Lombardy, Italy, north of Milan and near Lake Como, and is known today as Palazzo Estense. Built as a baroque palace by Francesco III d’Este, Duke of Modena and Governor of the Duchy of Milan (1698-1780), it went by descent from his third wife by morganatic marriage, Renata Teresa d’Harrach, Princess Melzi, to Rosina Zinzendorf, Countess Serbelloni. The Countess allowed wealthy paying guests to stay there. Although this was their only stay in the Villa, the house remained strong in their family memory. WHFT showed it to his new wife in October 1833, just as he was conceiving of the idea of photography and his sister Horatia made a point of visiting it in 1847.

3. 'Of course! It’s really you! or Indeed it’s you!'

4. Balzers in Liechtenstein, Coire or Chur in Switzerland and the San Bernardino pass from Switzerland to Italy were on the route to Varese.

5. Ernest Augustus Edgcumbe, Lord Valletort, 3rd Earl of Mt Edgcumbe (1797–1861), WHFT’s brother-in-law.

6. Readdressed in another hand.

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