He had met the architect Charles Garnier probably thanks to his father, who owned a large room next to the yards of the Paris Opera, where sometimes concerts were held.

Bischoffsheim was having problems in enforcing the commitments made when he lent the moneys in December 1875 to the city to upgrade the Roman road.

Bischoffsheim, who had bought land in the area and was building his villa, intended to upgrade the old mule track into an elegant path.

Bischoffsheim bothered by the conflict with city officials decided to move its sphere of interests to France and funded an Observatory on the heights of Nice in 1878.

In 1879 the future Queen Margherita of Italy was a guest of the villa with her mother Princess Elisabeth of Saxony, Marchioness of Rapallo and Dowager Duchess of Genoa.

[6] The name was changed to honour the success obtained by his sister Mildred Marion Bowes-Lyon with her opera "Etelinda", which premiered in Florence in 1894.

Later she returned with her daughter, the future Queen Elizabeth II, to spend the colder months, but they stayed at Villa Poggio Ponente which is situated on the outskirts of Bordighera near Vallecrosia.