SIGNORA DA POZZO

Evening Star, Issue 20845, 15 July 1931, Page 13

SIGNORA DA POZZO

As Signora da Pozzo and Miss Annie Cargill sat chatting with “ Diana ” in the beautiful lounge of the Otago Women’s Club an a recent morning it seemed to them that Dunedin had indeed made groat progress since they had left for Rome—in the Signora’s case close on forty years ago. These two ladies, daughters of the late Mr E. B. Cargill, and grand-daughters of Captain William Cargill, so well known as onh of the founders of the province, have now entirely made their homo in the Imperial City, but have been more than delighted to nay this long-pro-mised visit to their home town, and to find so many of their old friends anxious to give them a true Scottish welcome. Signora da Pozzo (then Miss Isabel Cargill) went to Romo in 1893, and with a friend opened there the first English tea room, for in those days tea drinking was almost unknown in Rome, and it was quite a novelty to find rooms designed for this new stylo of entertainment. During all this time the enterprise has grown, and she has now one of the largest and most exclusive establishments in Rome. She has welcomed many New Zealanders who have visited the great city, although she now finds the Italians to be amongst her best customers. Both visitors were delighted with our club, which they described as “ perfectly charming,” and amazed at its size. Club life for women is as yet almost unknown in Rome. Signora da Pozzo is the widow of a celebrated Italian artist, many of whoso pictures are to bo found in New Zealand galleries, and his portrait. of his wife, painted at the time of their marriage, is one of his happiest creations. Their only child is married to an Italian count, and is the Contessa Dorothy Bedini-Jacobini, and the mother of two charming little sons, who if any other bond were needed have firmly attached the Signora to her now well-loved Italy', These ladies have met many interesting people, and can tell stories of many of the erstwhile loaders of Russian’society who have drifted to the large Continental cities, and are in many cases compelled to live in the direst penury. When asked about Mussolini, they said they found conditions under his rule most pleasant, but would not further pursue the subject, at any rate to a representative of the Press. They are the guests while in Dunedin of their sister. Miss Cargill, of ” Wildwood,” and at the end of the month, when Mrs Pctre will arrive from Christchurch, there will he a happy reunion of the four sisters.