Lake Como As Seen from Below

Welcoming New Snippets VIII –
Lake Como as Seen from Below


(Picture: comoanditslake.com)

Statesman William Gladstone (1809-1898), once, in 1849, on a more or less secret mission at the shores of Lake Como

The Daughter of the Castellan

What might have become of her? The beautiful castellan’s daughter, whose name we don’t even know. Even if we know of her (and have also mentioned her in our Giovanni Morelli Monograph; see the introductory essay).
She, who opened the gate, down at the shore of Lake Como, if some visitors (or our two visitors) had just arrived by boat.

Yes, the beautiful and rich gather at the shores of Lake Como. This has always been the case, perhaps even since ancient times. But if the beautiful and rich use to gather at the shores of Lake Como, this does also mean that the beautiful and rich are almost always out. Because they might celebrate their parties somewhere else. And the beautiful daughter of a castellan might come into focus. Representing the society actually living at the shores of Lake Como (and, every now and then, opening a gate). Living with or without the beautiful and rich being around, living with what the beautiful and rich have left over, or within the sceneries usually inhabited be the beautiful and rich (whilst as to their doings, perhaps, the daughter of the castellan might have been also pretty well informed).

And probably much better informed than statesman William Gladstone might have been informed about what was going on at the shores of Lake Como. When following Lady Lincoln in 1849. Lady Lincoln who had eloped with Lord Walpole (a mission, by the way, destined to fail; for all see here).

Yes, has anyone thought about writing a novel about Gladstone as a detective on a more or less secret mission (since the Allgemeine Zeitung reported, in 1849, about his mission)?
Perhaps what was going on in the world of the daughter of a castellan was much more important, much more relevant than what was going on in the world of the beautiful and rich (some of them also being powerful). And still no one reported about the life of the beautiful daughter of a castellan (the Allgemeine Zeitung, though, mentioned her too, unless I would not be able to mention her, because the Allgemeine Zeitung printed, in some supplements, also travel accounts that we have used as sources).

And, in sum, we imagine a novel, wherein Stendhal and Charles Dickens would have cooperated. Let’s say with Stendhal being in charge for the love story (and the philosophy of love), and Dickens being in charge for the various levels of society. At Lake Como. And for society seen from above and seen from below.
Many details are to be found in the Allgemeine Zeitung to furnish such novel with detail. The kitchen of Villa Giulia, for example, was equipped with many types of casseroles. But the kitchen stood empty, because no one was there. And we imagine our two travellers inspecting that kitchen (as they in fact did), taking down the one or other casserole. While being, as we imagine as well, watched and observed by the beautiful daughter of a castellan. Who knew all these places well, and certainly far better than any traveller could know and get to know them. Or any member of the international high society.

(Picture: comersee-info.de)

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