FRASCATI

The Cardinal's Villa & Cathedral

Nestling in the Alban Hills, some twenty miles from the middle of Rome, Frascati is a beautiful small town with an ancient history. From its square one may look out to the north and see, on a clear day, the sun gleaming on the tiny distant speck which is the dome of St. Peter's. Turning round to face the other way you look up a long incline, once cultivated as a garden and orchard, but now left as a plain grassy slope, to the imposing Villa Aldobrandini, some 300 feet higher up the hillside. The view from its terraces and windows is stunning.

It was here that Cardinal Henry Stuart, Duke of York, the younger brother of Prince Charles Edward Stuart, had his residence for a time while he was Bishop of Frascati. His cathedral is close by in the centre of the town.

There is something infinitely sad and melancholy about the Villa Aldobrandini, now rather crumbling into decay and in need of repainting, inside and out. The shutters swing aimlessly in the wind and the windows need cleaning. The shelves which once housed the Cardinal's famous library stand empty and reproachful; the books were removed to the Vatican Library 'for safety' during the Second World War and have never been returned.

However, melded with Melancholy is an indestructible Charm, the decaying beauty of the place moving the soul in a way that it might not if it were restored to its ancient pristine state. Added to these presiding spirits is Nostalgia, so tangible that it seems a real presence, leaning over the visitor's shoulder to point out some unseen fragment of the past.

Perhaps it is better not to enter the building at all but to let it preserve its mystery and its secrets. Drink in, instead, the atmosphere of the neglected garden and turn again to savour the unrivalled view over the Lazio countryside to the Eternal City. On a sunny day the glinting dome of St. Peter's is clearly visible.