Description

GARIBALDI, Giuseppe (1807-1882). Two pairs of eyeglasses. [1860].

Two pairs of eyeglasses likely belonging to Garibaldi, the 'Hero of the Two Worlds,' and 'forgotten' after his marriage to the marquise Giuseppina Raimondi. The General met Raimondi towards the end of 1859 after the victorious operations around Como and Varese culminating in the Battle of San Fermo, where the future bride's father, Giorgio Raimondi, owned several estates. Having announced the engagement in December of that year, Garibaldi resided at the Raimondi family villas from January 4, at Villa Guardia (Villa di Mosino) and Fino Mornasco (Villa Raimondi now Tagliaferri), where the wedding was celebrated in the chapel on January 24, 1860. As soon as the ceremony was over, the General received an urgent letter in which a romantic affair between the bride and cavalry officer Luigi Caroli was revealed. After a dramatic confrontation with Raimondi, who apparently confessed the fact, Garibaldi stayed in Fino Mornasco until January 27, just long enough to make the preparations and then left in a hurry for Milan, leaving the inauspicious romantic affair behind him. Legend has it that the two pairs of glasses were forgotten in the villa in Fino Mornasco and were kept in the possession of the Natta-Vassalli family, tenants of Villa Guardia and intimates of the Marquises Raimondi who resided in the nearby Villa di Mosino. The glasses were kept in Villa Natta in Villa Guardia and given by the last heir of the family, Prof. Marina Vassalli, to the father of the present owner. In addition to the family tradition that they belonged to Garibaldi, pince-nez glasses can be seen hanging from his jacket in several contemporary portraits and statues of the General, and one pair is preserved at the house-museum in Caprera, his last residence. A gilt pair of glasses with classic frames with lenses and a pair of metal pince-nez glasses without lenses in a calf case. (2)

Automatically translated by DeepL. The original version is the only legally valid version.
To see the original version, click here.

261 
Go to lot
<
>

GARIBALDI, Giuseppe (1807-1882). Two pairs of eyeglasses. [1860].

Estimate 400 - 600 EUR
Starting price 400 EUR

* Not including buyer’s premium.
Please read the conditions of sale for more information.

Sale fees: 28 %
Leave bid
Register

For sale on Wednesday 17 Jul : 14:15 (CEST)
milan, Italy
Wannenes
+390102530097
Browse the catalogue Sales terms Sale info

Delivery to
Change delivery address
Delivery is not mandatory.
You may use the carrier of your choice.
The indicated price does not include the price of the lot or the auction house's fees.