La Foce : Rizzoli International Publications : 9780847836246 : 084783624X : 24 Sep 2024 : In 1924, English-born biographer and writer Iris Origo (1902-1988) and her husband, Antonio, purchased La Foce, a sprawling estate centered around a half-ruined fifteenth-century villa with a dream that was as ambitious as it was audacious. Guided by a deep-seated desire to make a difference, the Origos dedicated their lives to transforming an impoverished terrain into a thriving landscape of wheat fields, olive groves, and vineyards. With English architect Cecil Pinsent, they refurbished the house and designed an elegant terraced garden with box hedges, a rose garden, fountains, and a wisteria-covered pergola. The dramatic story of La Foce-from the taming of the wild valley and personal loss to wartime strife-is told by the Origos' granddaughter Katia Lysy, with reminiscences by Benedetta Origo, the couple's elder daughter. The letters and diaries of Iris Origo weave beautifully into a personal n