Next day at 12 o'clock promptly, Leo's cousin came, and the Harrises and
Leo took the Rome and Naples line for Marino, located sixteen miles
southeast of Rome, where Vittoria Colonna had lived, and where Leo
expected to find and take possession of his own palace and property.
The Roman tombs of the Via Appia on the right were soon left behind.
A dozen miles out and Frascate a summer resort was conspicuous with
its many lovely villas. Later the party left the train and enjoyed a
beautiful drive of three miles to Marino, a small town famous for its
wine, and located on the Alban Mountains. In the middle ages, the Orsini
defended themselves here in a stronghold against their enemies the
Colonna, but the latter under Martin V. captured Marino, which with the
surrounding country has remained a fief of the Colonna family to the
present day.
Ferdinand had already attended to much of the detail at Marino, so that
Leo, as owner of the vast Colonna estate, was loyally received by the
villagers, the tenants, and the old servants. Leo made his friends, the
Harrises, most welcome at his unexpected and palatial home. The Harrises
were delighted at what they saw. Leo and Lucille took several drives
together over the large estate.
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