Maximilian and Carlota by McAllen M. M.;

Author:McAllen, M. M.; [McAllen, M. M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Trinity University Press

16

Someone Is Intent on Poisoning Me

On August 23, 1866, Carlota left Paris for the castle of Miramar. Much had occurred in Europe over the past two years, and she knew she would receive no sympathy in Austria, where Franz Josef still staggered from his humiliation in the Austro-Prussian War. Carlota’s brothers showed little interest in her return to Europe either, not involving themselves with Mexico. Neither Napoléon nor any of his council members offered continued assistance to Maximilian. She felt alone in her quest but determined.1

As she traveled in her private car, the train made its way through the Alps to Turin and Milan in northern Italy, where people waved and cheered at each stop. With these spontaneous expressions of welcome, she felt great relief at having left France. At Milan, after an official ceremony in the town and a mass, she stayed at the beautiful Villa d’Este at Lake Como once owned by her father. Moved by its calm, she recalled previous visits when Maximilian served as governor of the territory of Lombardy. “In this land so full of memories of happiness and enjoyment, of the best years of our life, I never cease thinking of you and send you these lines apart from my Paris letter. Everything here breathes of you, your Lake of Como, of which you were so fond, before my eyes in all its blue calm, all is the same, only you are over there, far, far away, and nearly ten years have passed,” she wrote Maximilian.2

After a few days of rest, Carlota pushed on to Miramar by rail. Maximilian wrote with his instructions that she must visit with Pope Pius IX to exact an agreement. First, however, she intended to check on the castle and grounds, as Maximilian had never ceased sending orders from Mexico to the architects for its building and garden design. But she had in her mind to keep up the pressure on the French court through the pope, who would certainly come to their aid with a concordat and possibly convince Napoléon to maintain his support. To her surprise, however, the next leg of her journey proved to be most fascinating, as the Italians lay waiting with welcomes and surprises.3

At Desenzano, located on Lake Garda about sixty-five miles east of Milan, a column of Gen. Giuseppe Garibaldi’s red-shirted volunteers met her at the station with a Mexican imperial flag flying beside the Italian standard. It became clear to her that they regarded her as Carlota of Mexico, not the sister-in-law to Austria’s oppressive Franz Josef. They presented her with an embroidered imperial banner made by women of Bari, a town in southern Italy. Curiously, the Italians, known to be sympathizers with the Prussians hoping to be rid of Habsburg occupation, celebrated her former leadership. In view that Franz Josef had turned his back on Maximilian and Carlota, she was particularly touched by their emotional greetings. It was as if they treated her like part of the newly emerging Italy.4

The officers

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