The Casa Fontanalba Visitors’ Book has proved to be a useful research tool. Since the list of Clarence Bicknell’s guests in his mountain home were transcribed by Marcus Bicknell in 2005 onto an Excel spreadsheet, several researchers have found by Googling a mention of someone they were researching. This has enabled them to spread their research into Clarence’s network and to get into touch with Clarence Bicknell Association on www.clarencebicknell.com. Notably, in 2013, Graham Avery found Reginald Farrer in Clarence’s visitors’ book and got in touch; he has become the Vice-Presdient of the Association is one of the most prolific researchers and authors of papers on related people and subjects on https://clarencebicknell.com/documents/.
In 2023 Marcus had reason to research some of the people who visited the Case Fontanalba after Clarence’s death in 1918.The Count Guido d’Alberti della Briga, owner of the land on which the house was built, had given Clarence the right to build the house and live in it during his lifetime. It therefore reverted to d’Alberti in 1918 but he was kind enough to let Edward and Margaret Berry continue to use it. They did so, most years, until Edward died on 29th January 1931 in Rome. Neither Edward nor Margaret Berry signed the book even though they would have been the hosts till 1931. There are no signatures in the book after 1931 because Margaret, after Edward died, returned to live in the UK and took it with her.
The Excel spreadsheet is republished today with every name in the Casa Fontanalba Visitors’ Book, in Clarence Bicknell’s Book of Guests in Esperanto (both of which are available for purchase in colour reproduction www/clarencebicknell.com/shop) and in the Berry’s Villa Monte Verde visitors’ book (1904-1907). You can download it at the following link…
https://clarencebicknell.com/wp-content/uploads/casa_fontanalba_visitors_books.xls
Do please email us if you see any errors or know the correct spelling for someone. Thank you.
Marcus Bickinell 5 May 2023