By Sharon King Hoge
For a week last autumn, Chicago members of the American Friends of Versailles left the hometown shores of their great local lake to visit attractions around five picturesque lakes of northern Italy. Chicagoans Bonnie Deutsch and Phillip Hartung, Erin Falk, Pamela Miles of Lake Forest , and AFV Executive Director Kristin Smith stayed in grand hotels while visiting aristocratic villas, sumptuous gardens, and historic sites near lakes Garda, Iseo, Como, Orta, and Maggiore.
Pamela Miles |
Phillip Hartung |
Bonnie Deutsch |
Erin Falk |
Executive Director Kristin Smith |
Overseen by Chicagoan Catharine Hamilton, who founded the group which supports preservation of the celebrated French chateau, the trip again this year was organized by Princesse Beatrice de Bourbon des Deux-Siciles, a descendant of Marie Antoinette’s sister Maria Carolina, Queen of Naples. An AFV French Board Member, Princesse Beatrice introduces AFV members to royal descendants and locales expanding understanding of the Hapsburg and Bourbon dynasties and European history. At an opening dinner at the Hotel Villa Cortine Palace overlooking Lake Garda in Sirmione, Princess Beatrice greeted the group and introduced the itinerary.
American Friends of Versailles Founder Catharine Hamilton |
Princess Beatrice de Bourbon des Deux Siciles welcomed the group |
The group gathered at the Villa de Cortine Palace Hotel
Introductions and reunions |
Toasting old and new friends |
The opening dinner was served on the Cortine Palace Hotel terrace overlooking Lake Garda
Garden visits are highlights of the trips. On Isola Garda charming Alberta Cavazza dei Conti Cavazza guided the group around the greenery she and her siblings are restoring around their family home Villa Borghese Cavazza. The extraordinary Borromeo gardens of Lake Maggiore’s Isola Madre and Isola Bella featuring rare peacocks and dazzling vistas were designed by acclaimed Maestro Gardininer Gianfranco Giustina who escorted the group around his latest project at Villa Lorella. Guests strolled through the foliage of the Melzi gardens in Bellagio and plantings around Villa Balbianello and Villa Carlotta overlooking Lake Como.
Bonnie Deutsch with Claire Dwoskin in Villa Lorella garden overlooking Lake Orta xxxxx xxxx xxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxx xxxx |
Susan Walling and Pamela Miles in the Villa Lorella gardens Bonnie Deutsch with Claire Dwoskin in Villa Lorella garden ove |
Co-Founder Olivier Le Vicomte-de-Rohan in the Carlotta-gardens xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx |
Celebrated gardener Gianfranco Giustina led a tour around a private garden he is designing at Villa Lorella |
Francis Hammond at the Villa Cacvazza facade Francis Hammond at the Villa Cacvazza facade |
Phillip Hartung, Pamela Miles, Jaquine Arnold, and lovely local bourgainvillas
Bonnie Deutsch looks over the splendid Villa Cavazza gardens on Isola Garda xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xx |
Charming Alberta Cavazza’s welcome to her family estate xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xx xxxx xxx |
Pamela Miles at VIlla Intragnola
A vernal coat of arms |
A promenade through the gardens of Villa Melzi in Bellagio |
Villa Balbianello terrace was seen in the James Bond Casino Royale
Rare white and golden peacocks thrive in the Isola Madre gardens. Napolean had one shot to take home as a souvenir |
 Arriving at Isola Garda to tour Palazza Borghese Cavazza Arriving at Isola Garda to tour Palazza Borghese CavazzaArriving |
Special private tours are arranged for group visits to sites of historic interest. Museums of Balbianello revealed hidden passageways and settings, there were monumental coats of arms frescos and a Throne Room at Palazzo Borromeo. At Villa Carlotta visitors admired Canova statues and the Alexander the Great frieze created originally for Napoleon. The process for making the local sparkling Franciacorta wine was explained in a visit to the caves and cellars of Bellavista.
The local specialty of Frangiacorta is a sparkling wine xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xx |
Casks at Bellavista winery xxxx xxx xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx xxxx xxxx |
Carnova statues at Villa Carlotta xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xx |
The throne room of Villa Borromeo
Bellavista owner Vittorio Moretti greets Princess Beatrice xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx |
Sisters Deborah Glass and Erin Falk in front of a monumental painting at Palazzo Borromeo |
Phillip Hartung admiring plaster heraldry at the Palazzo Borromeo |
Bonnie Deutsch in the shell encrusted grottoes of Palazzo Borromeo |
Sir Richard Hitt admiring art on display at Villa Balbianello |
The lavish terraced gardens on Isola Bella
The Borromeo family imported boatloads of soil to transform a rocky island into a lavish Isola Bella xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xx |
Boating past George Clooney’s villa xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxx x |
Erin Falk touring the Bellavista winery xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xx |
Pamela Miles and her sster Susan Wallling in the Palazzo Borromeo domed salonxxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xx |
Pamela Miles admires the display of ceramics
Erin Falk, Katherine Harris, Marjorie Vickers, and Claire Dwoskin rest on the steps of palazzo’s multi-level ampitheater
At Lake Como, the group attended a charming in-the-round production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni presented in the historic Theatro Sociale, the opera house dating from 1813, which substituted for Milan’s La Scala when it was damaged during World War II.
Erin Falk Deborah Glass in front of past opera posters
Historic Theatro Sociale Como presenting Don Giovanni |
Cocktail dinatoire before the opera |
Jane de Moret Foster and the Vicomte de Rohan at cocktails before the opera xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xx |
Erin Falk Deborah Glass in front of past opera posters xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxxx xx |
Guests dined twice each day in private villas and elegant restaurants. Patrick and Francesca Droulers hosted a dinner party at their Villa Taglioni where there was a special anniversary celebration for Bonnie Deutsch and Phillip Hartung who had married six years ago during the AFV tour of Sicily. The next day George Clooney (an impersonator!!!) greeted the group for lunch at the Villa Silva home of Pat
rick Droulers’ sister Nathalie, Comtesse Serge de La Bedoyere, an AFV French Board Member. The Droulers are former owners of five-star hotel Villa d’Este where the AFV dined on lemon flavored tagliolini and beef truffle at dinner in a private salon.
Comtesse Nathalie and Princess Beatrice welcome guests to lunch at Villa Silva Hartung wedding annivion Bonnor A |
Hartung wedding anniversary celebration Bonnie and Phillip married during a prior AFV tour to Sicily xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx |
Comtesse Nathalie invited a George Clooney — an imposter –to welcome the group xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xx |
Arriving at the Villa d’Este dinner xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxxxx xx |
Boating toward Villa Silva for lunch hosted by AFV member Nathalie de La Bedoyere
Michele FIesci Fouan and Natalie de La Bedoyere at Villa Deste xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xx |
Robert and Jaquine Arnold with Patrick Droulers who hosted a dinner party at Villa Taglioni xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xx |
A festive lunch in Comtesse Nathalies waterview dining room
Arriving at the Droulers dinner party |
Dinner conversation at the Droulers |
Gilbert and Suzanne Mathews
Outdoor lunches were served at Villa Lorella overlooking Lake Orta and Villa Intragnola on Lake Maggiore. A seated luncheon at Bellavista winery featured three of the establishment’s sparkling vintages. Restaurant Suisse in Bellagio served memorable fettucini, and pumpkin cream with red Sicilian prawns was the first course at Ristorante Milano. At Lake Garda’s Michelin star La Speranzina, the risotto was topped with a square of edible gold leaf.
Al fresco buffet at Villa Lorella |
A sunny buffet at Villa Intragnola |
An edible gold leaf embellishes risotto at La Speranzina
Luncheon on the terrace of Villa Cavazza xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxxxx xxxx xxxx x |
Each course at the Bellavista lucheon was accompanied with a different vintage wine xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xx |
Table flowers at Villa Lorella
The busy week of tours and events concluded with a Gala Dinner at Villa l’Eremitaggio, the family home of Donna Giovanna Riscoli Clerici Sarto situated directly on Lake Maggiore. After aperitifs, guests dined on chickpea cream with octopus morsels and poppy seeds, risotto, and sea bass. Toasts of thanks to Princesse Beatrice and to AFV Founder Catharine Hamilton rounded out an elegant, edifying, and memorable journey.
Bonnie Deutsch conveys regards from AFV Founder Catharine Hamiltonxxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xx |
Michele Fiesci-Foua with hostess Donna Giovanna Rusconi Clerici Sarto xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xx |
Susan Kendall and Pamela Miles chat at the closing reception
Princess Beatrice toasts AdieuGale Arnold, Pamela Miles, Marjorie Vickers, and Claire Dwoskin in a Villa Eremittagio salon for the closing reception |
Gale Arnold, Pamela Miles, Marjorie Vickers, and Claire Dwoskin in a Villa Eremittagio salon for the closing reception |
AFV events funds to help preserve the structures and gardens of Versailles. In the past quarter century their efforts have supported restoration of the ceiling of Marie Antoinette’s Queens Guards Room, the Pavillon Frais, the Bosquet des Trois Fontaines and the Queens Bosquet. Celebration of the group’s 25th anniversary is planned for this June 9-12 including a Grand Ball at Versailles. People interested in attending are invited to consult the website www.
