TOMBS REPAIRED BY IRIS FROMM
 

IN FLORENCE'S 'ENGLISH' CEMETERY
 
 

Iris Fromm (http://www.steinmetzmeisterin.de/) arrived from Bavaria the evening of 30 October 2005, worked steadily from 31 October through 13 November, only taking 12 November as a holiday for seeing the Uffizi. In this short period she worked on restoring 23 tombs totalling 28 burials.

The top square of marble was broken in four pieces and the cross was loose and would have fallen in a high wind and smashed. Iris Fromm lifted out the cross, took the unstable base apart, removed the old metal inside, placed a new rod, cleaned the whole, and with the help of two Checcucci relatives, placed back the cross in the rebuilt, repaired base. Done.

*§  HELEN SCHOFIELD/ ENGLAND / Schofield/ Helen// Inghilterra/ 1317] [later addition 'see Shofield on next page' which gives /Elena/ Giuseppe/ Inghilterra/ Firenze/ 20 Maggio/ 1875/ Anni 41/ 1317]/ [Cross on plinth]/ GL23777/1 N° 486, Burial 22/05 Rev Tottenham/ HELEN SCHOFIELD/ DAUGHTER OF/ JOSEPH AND ELIZA SCHOFIELD/ DIED MAY 20 1875/ F7B

The brown grey green rocks in the dry wall behind these tombs is made from the rocks used by Arnolfo di Cambio to build the medieval city walls of Florence.

The American Boston-born Cornelia Amory Goddard Loring's tomb was about to fall from its base being compromised, the aging cement having disintegrated. Iris Fromm has cleaned and stabilized the tomb. Done.

^* CORNELIA (AMORY GODDARD) LORING/ AMERICA/ Loring nata Amory/ Vedova Cornelia/ Francesco/ America/ Firenze/ 5 Maggio/ 1875/ Anni 65/ 1314/ CORNELIA/ AMORY/ GODDARD/ LORING/ OF BOSTON/ MASSACHUSETTS/ BORN SEPT 27 1810/ DIED MAY 15 1875/ [art nouveau winged cross, stele] F7B

Iris Fromm has cleaned this German tomb.

^* DOKTOR AUGUSTUS KIRCH/ GERMANIA/ Kirch/ Dr. Augusto/ Enrico/ Germania/ Firenze/ 21 Novembre/ 1875/ Anni 57/ 1333/ HIER RUIT IN GOTT/ D. AUG. KIRCH/ F8B

Iris Fromm has cleaned this tomb and repaired its unstable base. Done.

^*§  INA SAULTER/ ENGLAND/ Saulter nata Boss/ Ina/ / Inghilterra/ 19 Maggio/ 1875/ Anni 19/ 1315/ [portrait medallion]/ IN . . . INA/ DEVOTED DAUGHTER OF/ BOSS SAULTER AND MARY HOLDEN/ DIED IN FLORENCE MAY 1875/ AGED EIGHTEEN YEARS/ GL23777/1 N° 485, Burial 21/05, Rev Tottenham/ F8B
 

As tomb was before cleaning

Iris Fromm has partially cleaned this large tomb to the American Mary Louisa King.

* MARY LOUISA (BRIGGS) KING / AMERICA/ King nata Briggs/ Vedova Maria Luisa/ Carlo/ America/ Firenze/ 18 Dicembre/ 1874/ Anni 43/ 1288/ Maria Louise Vve King, l'Amerique, fille de Charles Briggs/ IN MEMORY/ OF/ LOUISA KING/ WIDOW OF/ DAVID OLYPHANT KING/ DIED IN FLORENCE/ DEC 18 1874/ F9A
 

The base to this tomb was cemented, the broken pieces glued together, the whole cleaned and placed back in its base. There was no 'before' picture. Done.

^* THEODORE GENTZ/ GERMANIA / Gentz/ Teodoro/ Guglielmo/ Germania/ Firenze/ 7 Febbraio/ 1875/ Anni 30/ 1299/ mort à l'hopital de Florence, Teodoro Gentz/ Prusse, agé de 30 ans, fils de Guillaume/ + HIER RUHET IN GOTT/ THEODOR FR. GENTZ/ GEB ZU BERLIN DEN 13 MAI 1845/ GEST ZU FEBRENZ DEN 7. FEBRUAR 1875/ UNVERGESSLICH DEN DEINEN IN DER/ HEIMATH/ 1299/ F12B
 

Willhelm and Matilde Mannhardt tomb before restoration.

Iris Fromm has placed back the marble plaque into the repaired pietra serena of the tomb of the two Mannhardt children. Done.

^* MATILDE MANNHARDT/ GERMANIA/ Mannhard/ Matilde/ Giulio/ Germania/ Firenze/ 12 Gennaio/ 1876/ Anni 13/ 1340/ MATILDE/ cross on pietra serena/ F12C
^* WILHELM L. MANNHARDT / GERMANIA/ Mannhardt/ Guglielmo L./ Giulio/ Germania/ Firenze/ 13 Dicembre/ 1873/ Anni 12/ 1235/ Wilhelm Mannhardt, Allemagne, fils di Jules/ WILHELM MANNHARDT/ GEBOREN IN HAMBOURG/ DEN 16 NOV 1861/ GESTORBEN DEN 31 DEC 1873/ F12C
 

Iris Fromm has repaired the gate pillar to this tomb of the Baldinotti child, noting that the two posts have chiseled on them the letters J and B, from the two pillars to the Jerusalem Temple, Joachim and Boaz. The ironwork in  the 'English' Cemetery will be repaired in a later phase of the work by a skilled blacksmith and we shall then paint them. Done.

^* GIUSEPPE BALDINOTTI/ ITALIA/ 63. Baldinotti/ Giuseppe/ Vincenzo/ Italia/ Firenze/ 26 Dicembre/ 1874/ Anni 11/ 1290/ traslocato/ Joseph Baldinotti, Italie, fils de Vincent Baldinotti/ [Coat of Arms] GIUSEPPE BALDINOTTI NATO XXIV MAGGIO MDCCCLIV[?]/ . . . XXVI DICEMBRE MDCCCLXIV/ 1290/ F13B

Iris Fromm has cleaned and repaired the broken marble pieces, placing them back on top of the plaque. Done.

^* ZELINDA BINDI/ ITALIA / 126. Bindi (Mongardi)/ Zelinda/ Leopoldo/ Italia/ Firenze/ 19 Dicembre/ 1874/ Anni 32/ 1289/ ZELINDA BINDI DI ANNI 32/ MORTA IL 19 DICEMBRE 1874/ LE SORELLE PER MEMORIA/ IO SONO LA RISURREZIONE, E LA VITA, CHIUNQUE CREDE IN ME, BENCHE' SIA MORTO,/ VIVERA', E NON MORRA' GIAMMAI IN ETERNO/ GIOV. XI.25-26/ F14B
 

As it was before restoration.

  _

Iris Fromm has glued the broken plaque and replaced it in its frame. Done.

* JOHANNES SCHMID/JOHN SMITH/ ENGLAND/ Smith/ Giovanni/ Giacobbe/ Inghilterra/ Firenze/ 31 Marzo/ 1874/ Anni 57/ 1255/ Jean Schmidth, L'Angleterre, fils de Jacob Schmith/ HIER RUHET IN GOTT/ JOHANNES SCHMID/ LICENT. THEOL. . . ZU FRAUENDELF (C . . ./ GEB DEN 4 JAUNAR 1817/ GEST DEN 31 MAERZ 1874/ KOMMET HER ZY MIR ALLE/ DIE IHR MIIHSELIG UND BELADEN/ SEID ICH WILL EUCH ERQUICKEN/ MATTH. 11.23/ F18B/ See John Smith, England (whose death date is the same), and James Smith, likely the father.
 

Sector B:

__

Iris and Axel repaired the broken cross arm of the Isaac Lumley tomb. Done.

°*§ SARAH LEE/ ENGLAND/ Lee/ Sara/ / Inghilterra/ Firenze/ 25 Gennaio/ 1865/ Anni 89/ 898/ GL age 88, Burial 28/01, Rev Pendleton/ Sarah Lee, l'Angleterre, âgé de 89 ans/ Marriage GL20990 N° 56 Isaac Lumley to Sarah Lee, who may be daughter of Sir Francis and Sarah Lady Lee, at BCL, groom of Richmond Yorks, bride born in Florence, Rev Crokat/ Lumley/ Isacco/ / Inghilterra/ Firenze/ 12 Maggio/ 1857/ Anni 30/ 612/ GL23777/1 N° 234, Burial 14/05, Rev O'Neill/ 1856, 24 Marzo, 'L'an mil huit cent cinquante six, vingt quatrième jour du mois de Mars a été enseveli dans le cimiière de la susdite Eglise [1856, 24 marzo], Un Enfant du sexe masculin, fils de Isaac Lumley, Anglais, domicilié a Florence, et de Sarah Lumley, sa femme'/ Tomb of Louisa Lee, similarly a daughter of Sir Francis and Lady Lee, who died in 1886, aged 75, is listed in Allori Register/ SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF SARAH . . . OF COL. SIR FRANCIS LEE/ WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE 3RD FEBRUARY 1865/ IN THE 89TH YEAR OF HER AGE/ THIS TOMB WAS ERECTED IN MEMORY OF HIS BELOVED WIFE/ HER DAUGHTER LOUISA MARCHESA GUADAGNI/ A9R(124)/ R.Bencini/ See identical tomb for Isaac Lumley but with cross arm broken.
LUMLEY/ ENGLAND/ 1856, 24 marzo, 'Un Enfant du sexe masculin, fils de Isaac Lumley, Anglais, domicilié a Florence, et de Sarah Lumley, sa femme'.
°*§ISAAC LUMLEY/ ENGLAND / Lumley/ Isacco/ / Inghilterra/ Firenze/ 12 Maggio/ 1857/ Anni 30/ 612/ Isac Lumley d'Angleterre/ GL23777/1 N° 234, Burial 14/05, Rev O'Neill; Marriage GL20990 N° 56 Isaac Lumley to Sarah Lee at BCL, groom of Richmond Yorks, bride born in Florence, Rev Crokat/ See Sara Lee tomb, which is identical but intact/ Isaac Lumley, Massiliano Zileri and James Dennis associated with Parma B13N

^* AGNESE LUCIA CASSANI/ ITALY/ Cassani/ Agnese/ Enrico/ Italia/ Firenze/ 13 Maggio/ 1873/ Anni 4/ 1215/ +/ Agnese Cassani, Italie, agé de 4 ans, 5 mois, fille de Henri Cassani/ ALLA MEMORIA DELLA CARA BAMBINA/ AGNESE LUCIA CASSANI/ NATA IL GIORNO 14 DICEMBRE 1868/ MORTA DOPO 50 ORE DI MALATTIA/ IL GIORNO 13 MAGGIO 1875/ GUARDATE CHE NON ISPREZZATE ALCUNO/ DI QUESTI PICCOLI PERCIO' CHE IO VI DICO/ CHE GLI ANGIOLI LORO VEGGONO DEL CONTINUO NEI CIELI LA FACCIA DEL PADRE MIO CH'E' NEI CIELI/ MATT. 18 V. 10/ IL SIGNORE HA DATO IL SIGNORE HA TOLTO/ SIA BENEDETTO IL NOME DEL SIGNORE/ GIOBBE 1 V.21/ B17O

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And here is Iris Fromm painting the almost lost inscription on the Selina Checcucci Garinei tomb

Done.

°^*§ SELINA (CHECCUCCI) GARINEI/ ENGLAND/ITALY/Garinei/ Selina/  / Italia/ Firenze/ 14 Aprile/ 1850/ Anni 28/ 428/ SELINA / DI/ GIUSEPPE CHECCUCCI/ NACQUE A LONDRA/ NEL MARZO 1822// 14 APRILE 1850/ SELINA GARINEI/ VOLAVA AL CIELO / A SEGUIRE IL PREMIO/ LASCIANDO INCONSOLABILE/ ELVIRA E SALVADORE/ FIGLIA E CONSORTE// SELINA CHECCUCCI/ NEL 7 DICEMBRE 1844/ NELLA CAPELLA DI SPAGNA/ ST MARY LE BONE/ IMPALMAVA IL SUO DILETTO/ SALVADORE GARINEI/ INGEGNERE FIORENTINO/ [Checcucci: She obtained a license to marry Savaldore Garinei, an Engineer of Florence, in London, 3 December 1844, the license referring to both as parishioners of Marylebone where the marriage would be solemnized, parents Joseph Checchucci and Lydia Wildman, who married at St George Hanover Square, Westminster, London, 13 April 1809] different urn than one in photograph from Australia/ B16Q/ See Lydia Checcucci, also Allori.

The two Checcucci tombs were researched by their descendants in Australia and in Grenoble who shared their archival materials with us, hence we were able to recover most of the inscriptions. We have the photograph of the Elvira Garinei, who is mentioned on her mother Selina's tombstone.

Tomb to be repaired with the missing inscription, recovered from a 1960 photograph in Australia, by a German student friend of Iris', and delivered to Florence in the spring.

°^*§ LYDIA (WILDMAN) CHECCUCCI/ ENGLAND/ITALY/ Checcucci nata Wildman/ Lidia/ Pietro/ Inghilterra/ Firenze/ 10 Luglio/ 1863/ Anni 80/ 836/ SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF/ LYDIA CHECCUCCI/ THE LAMENTED WIFE OF JOSEPH CHECCUCCI/ WHO WAS FOR NEARLY 55 YEARS/ HIS CONSTANT AND FAITHFUL COMPANION / tomb now having only its gable, ornamented with a winged-hourglass, with two supports on a base, an open space with now-exposed bricks in between, and lacks this inscription/ GL 23777/1 N°328, daughter of Peter Wildman, Burial 13/07, Age 79, Rev Pendleton/ B16Q/

Sector C:

Professor Frizzi and his students of the Istituto per l'Arte e il Restauro:

  Charles Wital. Before cleaning.

Sector E:

Baron Blome's urn smashed by falling cypresses. Done.

Done.

BARON RUDOLF BLOME/ GERMANIA/ BARON RUDOLF BLOME/ GEBOREN DEN 15. FEBRUAR. 1836/ GESTORBEN DEN 26 MAI 1907/ [Casket above next double tomb] E19G
BARONIN PAULA BLOME NATA BASINET/GERMANIA/ BARONIN PAULA BLOME BEG BASINET/ GEB. DEN 26 JANUAR 1853/ GEST. 3, JUNI 1917/ E19G
BARONESSE FANNY BLOME/ GERMANIA/BARONESSE FANNY BLOME/ GEBOREN DEN 2, FEBRUAR 1871/ GESTORBEN DEN 26. NOVEMBER 1907/ E19G

This garlanded urn fell of its small column on top of the Delisser tomb a second time when a cypress branch fell on it this summer.
 

Iris and Axel consult on repair of fallen urn to Delisser tomb damaged by falling cypress this summer. Axel found the pieces, on the ledge to his left, and replaced them on top of the urn. They hardened the marble column which was crumbling into powder.

*°§ ADELAIDE DELISSER/ ENGLAND/ Delisser/ Adelaide/ / Inghilterra/ [died 18 July 1845, 1 Devonshire Street, St Marylebone]]/16 Maggio/ 1846/[14] / 333/ GL 23774 N° 67/ SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF/ ADELAIDE DELISSER/ WHO DIED JULY 18 1845/ AGED 13 YEARS/ E18G/
*°§ ALEXANDER DELISSER/ ENGLAND/ Delisser/ Alessandro/ / Inghilterra/ Firenze/ 4 Maggio/ 1844/ Anni 50/ 286/ GL 23774 N° 67: The bodies of a son and a daughter of the above Dr Delisser were brought from London and interred in the Protestant Burial Ground at Florence in the beginning of 1846 - no service was performed, G. Robbins/ Maquay Diaries: 8 May 1844/ [garlanded urn, column, ruined temple, cross, ourobouros, cross] SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF/ DR DELISSER/ DIED AT FLORENCE MAY THE 4 1844 AGED 48 YEARS/ E18G
*°§ ELLIS WILLIAM DELISSER/ ENGLAND / Delisser/ Ellis Guglielmo/ / Inghilterra/ Firenze/ 13 Marzo/ 1846/[19] / 332/ Death 14 July 1845, 1 Devonshire Street, St Marylebone; GL23774 N° 67, 'The bodies of a son and a daughter of the above Dr Delisser were brought from London and interred in the Protestant Burial Ground at Florence in the beginning of 1846 - no service was performed, G. Robbins'/ Death Certificates of Delissers supplied by way of Australia/ SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF/ ELLIS WILLIAM DELISSER/ WHO DIED JULY 14 1845 AGED 19 YEARS/ E18G/°=Jenny MacKay, Western Australia

Done.

^*§ SOPHIA ANNE COFFIN/ ENGLAND/ Coffin/ Sofia/ / Inghilterra/ Presso Siena/ 13 Settembre/ 1849/ Anni 14/ 411/ GL 23774 N° 137 Death 13-09, Burial 16-09, Rev. Robbins/ [Dove with Scroll] I WILL ARISE/ AND GO TO MY/ FATHER/ HERE LIES INTERRED/ THE MORTAL REMAINS/ OF SOPHIA ANNE COFFIN/ ELDEST DAUGHTER OF CAPTAIN J.T. COFFIN R.N./ WHO DIED AT SIENA/ SEPTEMBER 15TH 1849/ AGED 14 YEARS/ E19G

Corner of tomb damaged by falling cypress. Axel found the piece and reattached it. Done.
 

The piece in the slot actually fits onto the top of the cross. Can this all be righted?

^*§ JOSEPH WATSON/ ENGLAND/ Watson/ Giuseppe/ Giuseppe/ Inghilterra/ Firenze/ 24 Giugno/ 1873/ Anni 33/ 1219/ Joseph Watson, Angleterre, Rentier, fils de Joseph Watson/ GL23777/1 N° 458 Burial 26/06 Rev Clark/ JOSEPH WATSON/ OF GATESHEAD ONTYNE ENGLAND/ DIED AT FLORENCE/ SIXTH MONTH/ 24 1873/ AGED 33 YEARS// WHICH HOPE WE HAVE/ AS AN ANCHOR OF THE SOUL/ BOTH SURE AND STEADFAST/ HEB. VI.19/ E16D

This tomb slab is too heavy for Iris and Axel to lift without the use of a crane. Edward Porteus was the friend and associate of Florence Nightingale and associated with the Battle of Waterloo.
 

*§  EDWARD PORTEUS/ ENGLAND / Porteus/ Eduoardo/ / Inghilterra/ Firenze/ 12 Settembre/ 1843/ Anni 68/ 268/ GL 23774 N° 54: Burial 14-09, Rev F. Goddard officiates, Robbins attests; Marriage G23773/4 N° 6 04/02/34 Edward Porteus to Dominica Schirroni at HBM (Seymour), groom deputy inspector general of army hospitals, Rev Hutton/ [Tomb in need of restoration]/ SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF/ EDWARD PORTEUS ESQRE DEPUTY INSPECTOR GENERAL OF ARMY HOSITALS IN H.B. MAJESTY'S SERVICE/ NEPHEW TO THE LATE RIGHT REVD RECTOR BEILBY PORTEUS/ LATE BISHOP OF LONDON DEPARTED THIS LIFE  AT FLORENCE/ ON THE 12 SEPT 1845 AGED 68 YEARS/ THIS MONUMENT TO THE MEMORY OF AN AFFECTIONATE HUSBAND A GOOD FATHER AND AN ABLE FRIEND/ IS ERECTED BY HIS DISCONSOLATE WIDOW DOMENICA AND SURVIVING ONLY SON GEORGE/ P.BAZZANTI.F/ E16E

Fabrizio Checcucci has made the stele with Elizabeth Barrett Browning's name, which her tomb lacks.

*§ ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING/ ENGLAND/ 79. Barrett Browning/ Elisabetta/ / Inghilterra/ Firenze/ 29 Giugno/ 1861/ Anni 45 [incorrect, 55]/ 737/ Elisabeth Barrett Browning, l'Angleterre, agé de 45 ans/ [marble with leading, design, Lord Leighton, execution, Luigi Giovanozzi (1791-1870), sculptor of Duchess of Albany's tomb, Santa Croce, who signs the work to the bottom left]/ GL23777/1 N°293 Burial 01/07 Rev O'Neill; Anthony Webb: heart attack, morphine poisoning; Freeman, 236-23/ NDNB article /Henderson/ E.B.B./ OB.1861./ E12I
 

^*§ LIEUT. COL. GERARD COURCY/ IRELAND/ Courcy/ Colonello Gerardo/ / Inghilterra/ Firenze/ 20 Ottobre/ 1848/ / 392/ GL 23774 N° 125: the Hon. 4th son of John 26th Lord Kingsale, Burial 22-10, Rev Robbins/ Maquay Diaries: 19 Oct 1848; 20 Oct; 22 Oct:/ Burke's Peerage entry/ Henderson/ SACRED/ TO THE MEMORY OF/ LIEUT. COL. GERARD COURCY/ SON OF THE RIGHT HONOURABLE JOHN COURCY/ . . . AND SUSANNA HIS WIFE/ DIED AT FLORENCE OCTOBER 20 1848/ F12H

^*§ MARGUERITE DEMPSEY/ ENGLAND/ Dempsey/ Margherita/ / Inghilterra/ Bagni di Lucca/ 2 Agosto/ 1841/ Anni 34/ 221/ GL 23744 N° 19: Burial 04-08, name Marguerite, Rev Tennant/ broken tombstone/ SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF MARGUERITE . . . DEMPSEY [Biblical inscription]/ F8E

Base has been cemented, slab remounted.

^* JULA GRANDJEAN/ SVIZZERA / Grandjean/ Giulia/ / Svizzera/ Firenze/ 11 Febbraio/ 1869/ Anni 56/ 1037/ Julie Grandjean, Canton de Vaud, Suisse, gouvernante/ JULA GRANDJEAN/ DEC 11 FEVRIER 1869/ F4H

Done.

This Polish tomb is now set in cement and its slab placed firmly on its pediments. Done.

*°§ MARIE PETROVNA KOCHANOWSKAJA/ POLAND/ Kokanowsky/ Maria/ Pietro/ Russia/ Firenze/ 5 Novembre/ 1868/ Anni 38/ 1024/ Marie Kokanowsky, Russie, fille de Pierre Kokanowsky/ Kochanovskaja Marija Petrovna, Kisinev/ MARIE KOCHANOWSKI/ NEE A KICHENEFF/ DECEDE A FLORENCE/ LE 5 NOVEMBRE 1868/ Talalay: N° 1024, RC; 'la tomba della sua sorella Alessandra si trova nel Cimitero greco ortodosso di Livorno' ; Bibl.: M. Talalay, A.M. Canepa, 'I sepolcri dei russi a Livorno', in Nuovi Studi Livornese, II (1994); °=Gene and Ray Bogucki, Petersburgh, New York/ F5G
 

Iris Fromm's website as Master Mason and sculptress can be found at http://www.steinmetzmeisterin.de/

23 tombs
28 burials Iris Fromm

4 tombs
6 burials Istituto per l'Arte e il Restauro

27 tombs
34 burials total

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