Vincigliata
It housed some high-ranking British and Commonwealth officers, including Major-General Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart, who was employed by the Italian government in the Armistice negotiations with the Allies in 1943.
After the fall of the Republic, the Alessandri family still kept up their palace in the city, but the castle was allowed to drift into decay, till by the year 1637 only the Lord Francesco lived there with a 10-year-old son, Giovani Antonio, and a maiden aunt of 70.
The ruins and land were sold in 1827 to Lorenzo di Bartolommeo Galli da Rovezzano [3] They became a source of interest to writers and artists during the romantic era, as evidenced by an Emilio Burci sketch dated 1836.
He created the Bosco di Vincigliata, planting cypresses in the rocky areas where nothing else would grow, with pines and all the various shrubs and bushes one finds in a typical central Italian woodland; in short, an English romantic garden on a huge scale.
Originally there were many Gaetano Bianchi (1819–1892) frescoes of scenes from the lives of the various families that owned Vincigliata, but only one has survived, Ugolino de'Visdomini invoking the Virgin before marching against the Sienese.
He left all his properties, including the Castello di Vincigliata to his great nephew Richard Luttrell Pilkington Bethell, 3rd Baron Westbury, who sold it off piecemeal, and his art collection was scattered.
"[6] The castle also included New Zealander Brigadiers Reginald Miles and James Hargest who reflected in his book, "One thing the late Temple-Leader had certainly done: he had erected a structure ideal for the purpose it was now put to—a prison.
"[8] He received the DSO in 1942, and escaped during the Italian Armistice in September 1943—initially with other officers, including Dan Ranfurly, walking over the Apennines and down into Romagna, guided by a Benedictine monk Don Leone.
He and his ADC Flight-Lieutenant Leeming, were sent to the Villa Orsini close to Sulmona PG 78, POW camp, joined later by Neame, O'Connor, Combe, Gambier-Parry, Todhunter and Younghusband, before being sent to Vincigliata some six months later.
During World War II he was the commanding officer of The Queen's Bays (2nd Dragoon Guards) part of the Royal Armoured Corps, and was captured in North Africa, and arrived at Vincigliata in 1942.
As Carton de Wiart wrote of him "... he was also a most gifted man, made delightful sketches, was a first class 'forger' – which could no doubt earn him a steady income in the underworld.
Later he was hidden in a hospital on Via Santo Stefano Rotundo run by the Little Sisters of Mary; all arranged by an Irish priest known as the 'Vatican Pimpernel',[21]'under the noses' of the Germans until the allies arrived in June 1944.
After serving with the Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) in World War I, he was ordained in 1923 and embarked on his ecclesiastical career in New Zealand, becoming the 7th Anglican bishop of Waiapu, from 1938 to 1944.
He succeeded so well that the international medical board, with Swiss and Italian doctors, unhesitatingly accepted his case for early repatriation," (in April 1943 via a military hospital in Lucca).
Rejoining his division in North Africa, in December 1941 his 6th Field Regiment was overrun by German Panzers near Belhamed, and he was wounded in the back by shrapnel and taken prisoner.
He was sent to Italy, first at Villa Orsini near Sulmona, where he met other captured officers, as Carton de Wiart wrote: "General Neame well known as a big game hunter, discovered a latent talent for embroidery, and also started on a book.
"[32] The officers started a tunnel and as Carton de Wiart explained, "Neame with his sapper's knowledge gave us the layout for our labours, and with such a degree of accuracy that at the end we were hardly a centimetre out.
In World War II now promoted to major-general, he was the brilliant commander of 7th Armoured Division and 4th Indian Brigade that earlier in the North African campaign had routed the Italian 10th Army, taking the surrender of 130,000 men and 400 tanks.
Second Lieutenant Lord (Dan) Ranfurly, educated at Eton College, joined the Nottinghamshire Yeomanry (Sherwood Rangers), 1st Cavalry Division, and was aide-de-camp to Lieutenant-General Neame when they were both captured in Cyrenaica in April 1941.
Following the end of World War II, Ranfurly worked briefly in insurance at Lloyd's of London, not long after being appointed Governor of the Bahamas by Winston Churchill.
As John Leeming, a fellow prisoner records in his book, "One officer Lieutenant Victor Smith, of the Fleet Air Arm, was allowed to visit us regularly.
He commanded the 11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own) part of 7th Armoured Division in the defence of Tobruk, where he was captured by a German reconnaissance night patrol (led by Rommel) in the desert in November 1941.
Promoted to lieutenant-colonel, and during World War II, serving as a brigadier with the RHA, he was captured at Mechili in Cyrenaica, North Africa, with General Gambier-Parry in April 1941.
Close by, "he discovered a retired Dutch diplomat, Baron Quarles, who lived with his English wife (who by extraordinary coincidence had known Neame as a child forty–five years earlier)",[53] and "he and O'Connor used to listen to the news on their wireless.
Vaughan's Indian Cavalry gallantly repulsed many attacks, but was eventually overwhelmed, surrendering to Rommel in person, who was leading his main armoured division.
Neame in his book pays tribute to the support they received from fellow POW's: "...while the remaining six officers and thirteen NCOs and men went through hours of tedious watching to ensure success.
O'Connor and Carton de Wiart (who was now aged sixty-three) were captured in the region of the Po Valley, Bologna after eight days, while Combe was caught at Milan railway station.
As Carton de Wiart comments in his book, "I learnt also that twenty-four hours elapsed before our exit hole had been discovered, and then only by Gussie's dog (Mickey, a cross St Bernard & white sheep-dog).
"[79] A new camp commander was appointed and the garrison was increased by 50 per cent, to number a hundred infantry and Carabinieri guarding the eleven officers and fourteen other ranks.
His Soffocone di Vincigliata is made from single-vineyard grapes with a blending largely Sangiovese, with some Colorino and Canaiolo, giving an average production of about 800 cases.
