Hal, I will be journeying myself to Florence in July, so your question has prompted me to do a quick Google search. Here are two hits. http://www.twainquotes.com/19031109.html The New York Times, November 9, 1903 Mark Twain's Villa Near Florence. FLORENCE, Nov. 8. - Samuel L. Clemens (Mark Twain) and his family, accompanied by George Gregory Smith, have arrived here and taken possession of the Villa Quarto, three miles and a half from the city. The villa was formerly the property of a Russian Grand Duchesse and was afterward occupied by the King of Wurtemberg. It is now owned by Count Reybaudi Massiglia, Italian Minister to Persia, who was formerly Consul at Philadelphia, where he married Miss Paxton. http://www.twainquotes.com/interviews/critic1904.html pictures and text, including The most important personage in the group is Mark Twain, as the villa of his selection is the most sumptuous of them all. The Villa di Quarto lies in a charmingly picturesque spot not far from Florence. It has sheltered the most illustrious people, and all of them have admired its beauty, both natural and artificial -- its magnificent grounds with broad avenues, fountains, and smiling gardens. An idea of it size -- the circumference of the park is over two miles -- may be given by saying that at one time a Russian princess lived there with a suite of one hundred persons. Victor Emanuel II visited it frequently, as it is close to the royal country seat of La Petraia.