For context, please see the previous post about the spectacular end to the bunker.
With the demise of the bunker the children realized that perhaps a more permanent structure would be of use and so they turned their eyes towards the Villa. The Villa had been in the same family for centuries. Its wealth grew out of the silk trade that made the entire Venetian region a force to be reckoned with. During its heyday, silk worms were grown on site, spun into thread and woven into luxurious fabrics Evidence of this historic past now sits abandoned in one wing of the villa, untouched since the day of closing when production was moved to more modern facilities.
It was a walled estate over one square kilometre in size and the house itself was rather curious in design. What began as one small building, over the centuries grew into an extensive facility in the form of an H. The outside walls of the H were well over 100m long and most of it was unoccupied, a fact known to the children as their parents had become friends with the Countess and were often invited for dinner. (This is not the dinner that concerns us here.)
It didn't take long for the children to determine access points for entry to the Villa, nor to find a route to the attic. It was there that they discovered they had the run of the entire rooftop and this became their new home. Furniture was dragged up from the numerous rooms where it was merely collecting dust.
It was here that they stored their treasures. What exactly were their treasures now that they had given up on weaponry? Boxes of sewing needles from the silk factory, a first aid kit, books, and their new passion, bits and pieces of archaeology. The area was rife with evidence of past generations and civilizations and the children often conducted their own archaeological digs bringing bits of pottery back to the Villa to reconstruct. Again it was Werner and his passion for history that drove the children in this direction.
It was from the comfort of the attic that they were able to engage in one of their preferred activities: conducting raids. A favourite target was the Countess' garden parties where banquet tables were set out filled with food and drink. The children would plan an attack, capture the cookies, cakes and Orange Fanta and haul it to the attic for storage. They are certain that this treasure trove must still be there today as no one would really ever have a reason to go into the attic.
A second favourite activity was spying. The children discovered that with the full run of the attic they could peer down through cracks in ceilings or by shifting tiles, into various rooms in the Villa. Two favourite rooms to spy on were the ball and dining rooms when the Countess hosted dinner parties. Here they were privy to adult conversations and had a chance to observe some of the more elite members of the area. The children attended many dinner parties in this way and so if you were to ask, "Did you ever have dinner with the countess?" Their answer would have to be, "Yes."
With the demise of the bunker the children realized that perhaps a more permanent structure would be of use and so they turned their eyes towards the Villa. The Villa had been in the same family for centuries. Its wealth grew out of the silk trade that made the entire Venetian region a force to be reckoned with. During its heyday, silk worms were grown on site, spun into thread and woven into luxurious fabrics Evidence of this historic past now sits abandoned in one wing of the villa, untouched since the day of closing when production was moved to more modern facilities.
It was a walled estate over one square kilometre in size and the house itself was rather curious in design. What began as one small building, over the centuries grew into an extensive facility in the form of an H. The outside walls of the H were well over 100m long and most of it was unoccupied, a fact known to the children as their parents had become friends with the Countess and were often invited for dinner. (This is not the dinner that concerns us here.)
It didn't take long for the children to determine access points for entry to the Villa, nor to find a route to the attic. It was there that they discovered they had the run of the entire rooftop and this became their new home. Furniture was dragged up from the numerous rooms where it was merely collecting dust.
It was here that they stored their treasures. What exactly were their treasures now that they had given up on weaponry? Boxes of sewing needles from the silk factory, a first aid kit, books, and their new passion, bits and pieces of archaeology. The area was rife with evidence of past generations and civilizations and the children often conducted their own archaeological digs bringing bits of pottery back to the Villa to reconstruct. Again it was Werner and his passion for history that drove the children in this direction.
It was from the comfort of the attic that they were able to engage in one of their preferred activities: conducting raids. A favourite target was the Countess' garden parties where banquet tables were set out filled with food and drink. The children would plan an attack, capture the cookies, cakes and Orange Fanta and haul it to the attic for storage. They are certain that this treasure trove must still be there today as no one would really ever have a reason to go into the attic.
A second favourite activity was spying. The children discovered that with the full run of the attic they could peer down through cracks in ceilings or by shifting tiles, into various rooms in the Villa. Two favourite rooms to spy on were the ball and dining rooms when the Countess hosted dinner parties. Here they were privy to adult conversations and had a chance to observe some of the more elite members of the area. The children attended many dinner parties in this way and so if you were to ask, "Did you ever have dinner with the countess?" Their answer would have to be, "Yes."
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