| Many conjectures have been made
about Nobel’s choice to move to Sanremo where he bought a villa.
Probably there was more than one reason, above all for his health
problems. At the beginning of 1890 Nobel’s health left much to be
desired He suffered with circulation disorders, strong fits of
angina pectoris and recurrent colds. His health needed a climate
drier and milder than Parisian winters. Nobel wished to live in a
different and quieter place where he could set up all the projects
and inventions that he had in mind.: that is why Nobel , after all
the problems he had suffered in Paris, decided to move most of his
work to Sanremo. Mr Ragnar Sohlman, Nobel’s assistant and executor,
refers to a journey to Italy that Nobel made when he was still a
young man. Italy had always appealed on Northern countries and so
did on Alfred Nobel. His love was probably influenced by Percy
Bysshe Shelley, his favourite poet when he was young , who
inspired his poem: The Enigma. Shelley loved Italy very
much and dedicated many poems to the country. |
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It is possible to read a very interesting mention of Nobel’s choice of
Sanremo in the book: “Nobel, A Biography”, written by Staffan Tijerneld:
“His health needed a milder and drier climate than what Parisian winters
could offer to him. His laboratory in Serran had been closed down by the
French government and he was obliged to install another lab somewhere else.
As it was impossible to build it inside the boundaries of France , he
thought that Italy could be more comprehensive, after buying Nobel’s licence
of his balistite. Sanremo, beautiful sea resort about a dozen miles from
Nice, could meet the two requirements: Sanremo offered good means of
communications. One could get there quite easily from Paris and since the
opening of the railway tunnel in Saint Gothard one could easily reach
central Europe. It took Nobel some time to move to Sanremo and only in 1893
the villa was ready. A number of rooms for the guests, a stable, a yard for
coaches, a laboratory and an establishment on the beach”. The
Swedish professor A. Key, rector of the Institute Karolinska visited ”My
nest” that is the name given by Nobel to his residence He praised the
building and Nobel’s hospitality . Mr Key met Nobel after the death of
Andrietta Nobel thanks to a donation to the Institute. As the professor
didn’t dare to pay visit to Nobel, he addressed himself to a waiter who
showed him the park of the residence; the following day Nobel invited him
for dinner in the villa. They spent a pleasant evening together and Nobel
explained how he needed to live in comfort but not in luxury.
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