Hawk-nosed Gaetano Marzotto, Count of Valdagno and Castelvecchio, scion of a long line of Italian textile men, hopped into his Lancia one day in 1949 and headed south through the boot of Italy for a vacation. When night fell, the count stopped at one bug-ridden hotel after another, looking for a place to sleep, but found them all booked solid. Marzotto finally slept in his car, woke up rumpled and resolved. He dashed back to Rome, called on President Einaudi and Premier de Gasperi, and asked: "Do you realize how much good tourist money...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
