Bertel Thorvaldsen
Rom
Charlotte Frederikke
Vicenza
Udskrift: A Sua Altezza Reale / La Principessa di Danimarca / in Vicenza
Dateringen fremgår af brevet.
Thorvaldsen thanks Charlotte Frederikke for his pleasant stay at Vicenza and for her motherly solicitude for his daughter. He has not heard from Elisa or from Fritz since his departure, but he is reassured at the thought that they are under her protection. He is confident that the princess will contact him if any problems arise in connection with the young couple’s approaching wedding.
Min naadigste Prindsesse!
Efterat jeg lykkelig er ankommen til Rom, hvor min Tilstædeværelse af flere Grunde var mig af Vigtighed, bør jeg ikke længer opsætte den kjære Pligt at takke Dem ret hjerteligt for de behagelige Dage, som jeg nød under mit OpholdI hos Dem; meget føler jeg mig ogsaa Dem forbunden for den moderlige Opmærksomhed, som De skjænkede min DatterII, og jeg maa ligeledes i den Henseende bevidne Dem min levende Taknemmelighed. Paafaldende har det været mig, at jeg siden min AfreiseIII aldeles intet skriftligt har hørt, hverken fra PauelsonIV eller min Datter, saa at jeg i dette Øjeblik befinder mig i fuldkommen Uvidenhed om hvorledes SagerneV forholde sig: imidlertid er jeg fuldkommen beroliget ved Tanken om at min Datter er under en saa høi og ædel Beskyttelse: ligeledes veed jeg, at jeg tør vente saa megen Deeltagelse fra Deres Side at De godhedsfuld ved et Par Ord fremstiller mig Tingenes sande Sammenhæng, i Tilfælde at GiftermaaletsVI Fuldbyrdelse skulde tage en altfor langsom eller skjev Vending: Deres Blik er skarpt, og De veed at skille det Falske fra det Sande.
Fra Rom har jeg intet Nyt at melde Deres Kongelige Høihed, uden at dette Aar sandsynligviis vil bringe usædvanlig mange Fremmede hertil, og at her allerede nu spores en mærkelig Livlighed.
Jeg glæder mig til ret snart at see Dem i vor Midte for personligen at bevidne Dem min dybe Høiagtelse, og ønsker Dem imidlertid at leve lykkelig, og bevare mig i Deres venskabelige Erindring. Maatte jeg tillige bede Deres Høihed at hilse paa det venligste Hr. DoctorenVII og Frøken HarboeVIII fra
| Rom d: 24d Nov: 1832. | Deres allerærbødigste |
My most Graceful Princess,
As I have safely arrived in Rome, where my presence for several reasons was important to me, I should no longer put off the pleasant duty to thank you most sincerely for the nice days I enjoyed during my stay with you; I also feel much obliged to you for the motherly care you showed my daughter, and I must in this respect as well, express my strong gratitude. It has struck me that since my departure I have had nothing at all in writing, neither from Paulsen nor my daughter, so at this moment I am completely ignorant as to how the case really is. I am, however, completely reassured to know that my daughter is under such a high and noble protection. I also know that I may expect so much sympathy on your part that you kindly in a couple of words will present me with the facts of the matter in case the consummation of the marriage should take a too slow or an unfavourable turn. You have a keen eye and you can separate false from true.
From Rome I have nothing new to tell Your Royal Highness, except for the presumption that this year will probably bring exceptionally many foreigners to this place and that already now a strange liveliness may be noticed here.
I am looking forward to seeing you soon in our midst so that I personally may show you my sincere respect and in the meantime I wish you may live happily and that you will not forget me. Might I also ask Your Highness most kindly to remember me to the Doctor and Miss Harboe from
| Rome, November 24th 1832. | Your most respectful |
[Translated by Karen Husum]
Ludvig Bødtcher
Last updated 18.02.2020
Thorvaldsen had gone to Vicenza with his daughter in order to get away from the Papal States and ask the clergy in Vicenza to permit the Roman Catholic Elisa to marry the Protestant Fritz Paulsen.
I.e. Elisa Thorvaldsen, m. Paulsen.
Thorvaldsen left Elisa at a convent in Vicenza 30.10.1832 and continued on his own to Milan, where he received two commissions. Heinrich Mylius commissioned a work for his late son Julius’ chapel at Loveno on Lake Como, and Alessandro Antonelli commissiond two bas-reliefs in bronze for the high altar in the Basilica di S. Gaudenzio. He returned to Rome in November.
I.e. Colonel Fritz Paulsen, who was Charlotte Frederikke’s gentleman-in-waiting.
A reference to the request to the clergy in Vicenza that the Roman Catholic Elisa be permitted to marry the Protestant Fritz Paulsen.
Elisa and Fritz Paulsen were married at Laibach (Ljubljana) 24.12.1832.
I.e. probably the German Doctor Johann Hartmann.
I.e. Charlotte Frederikke’s adopted daughter, Charlotte Harboe.