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Early 1900s: Who fancies a holiday in an Italian castle? Cheap at half the price, but a life changing experience.
Early 1900s: Who fancies a holiday in an Italian castle? Cheap at half the price, but a life changing experience.
When an advertisement in the Times appears for a small medieval castle in Italy for rent during the month of April, you could say that Mrs Wilkins and Mrs Arbuthnot are quite interested. They are both in unhappy marriages and so decide to go for it. they themselves advertise for two more ladies to join them
The group of women who take up residence at San Salvatore are a mixed bunch of souls. Four very different women and four very different characters and personalities. But there is another character there with them – for the house itself is yet to weave its magical charms.
Very quickly the house, the place starts to work its magic on all of them and they find that the house changes them or are they really becoming the people they always have been?
The fact that a while spent languishing in the sunshine in a beautiful castle on the Italian Riviera really is no hardship. It might just be the tonic we all need once in a while.Imagine the feeling of sun on your face, the smell of wisteria in the air and the breeze in the wind…cocktail in hand and a book beside you..
As Brenda Blethyn says in the introduction (Read this imagining her as Vera and it’s even more powerful)
“Open a window. Or better, wander into a garden. Find a chaise, settle down, breathe in the scent,whatever it is, but breathe especially if there’s wisteria in the air. Put on a hat, or at least some sun screeen. Turn off your phone.
Now you’re ready to read Elizabeth von Arnim’s TheEnchanted April”
The 1991 film is very good, really capturing the atmosphere of the book -it was filmed partly at Castello Brown!
Author/Guide: Elizabeth von Arnim Destination: Italian Riviera Departure Time: Early 1900s
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