CRUMBLING GATE TO A TUSCAN VILLA

Yesterday, I posted a picture of our sordid gate which is in the process of being painted. Perhaps tomorrow it will be fit to be seen.

This is another gate, crumbling where it stands. At a guess, it was once faced with stone and topped with either urns or eagles. There are still craftsmen who could restore this gate but the owner obviously does not think it is worth the effort.

Not every house in Italy is a villa. Villas are roughly the equivalent of manor houses owned by the landed gentry. Apart from a few castles and palaces, everything else is a house.

The private chapel which goes with this villa is not in great repair, either, although the exterior is all right. A glimpse of the villa can be seen to the left. Private chapel, exterior. The doors and windows form a cross. This is fairly standard on small chapels. The interior is in total disrepair. Chapel interior.

We know who lives here because we met them once at another villa. While the husband's wife was out of the room he began to tell the story of his first marriage to an American girl whose parents objected to her marrying an Italian. She was disinherited. Just as he was getting to the really interesting bits his wife came back into the room. We'll never know the rest.

All pics straight from the camera.

For the record: +17 C. Sunny. Humidity 72%. A very beautiful day at last.