Beyond the Yalla Dog

View of Florence from I Brichieri

Today Katie and I had the treat of an invitation to the private Villa Brichieiri – home of American artist and poet Caroline Burton. This Villa with its glorious view overlooking Florence has been a meeting point for writers and artists for many generations – starting from Isa Blagden in 1849 – who entertained poet Elizabeth Barret Browning and her husband Robert,  then rented by Constance Fenimore Woolston, great niece of James Fenimore Cooper (see Felony by Emma Tennant)  Perhaps her  most famous writer guest was  Henry James , whostayed there with “Fenimore” the year he wrote the Aspern Papers. It has been widely suggested that James’s portrait of Miss Tina is a thinly disguised portrait of Fenimore Cooper – sadly both the character in the Aspern Papers and Fenimore herself committed suicide – a fact which distressed Henry James greatly.

Poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Elizabeth Barrett Browning described the view from this villa in her poem Aurora Leigh and there is now a plaque on the wall of the villa – quoting from her poem.