Mr. Pound and family

Brunnenburg is perhaps most known for being the temporary home of the American modernist poet Ezra Pound. Originally built in the 1200s, the castle was renovated during the middle part of the 20th century by Pound's daughter Mary de Rachewiltz and her husband Boris. Pound came to Brunnenburg during the 1950s and wrote the final part of his Cantos here (which Mary translated into Italian).

Today, Brunnenburg serves as a study center not only for American college students, but for Pound scholars. Our students benefit from a class on Pound every week taught by Mary de Rachewiltz, and she invites them all to tea on Sundays. Whether they know it now, the crofters have the kind of opportunity here that not many people get. Mary is a scholar's scholar, constantly hosting academics from around the world and at the same time graciously interacting with college students, many of whom are having their first experience of Pound's poetry. She's also our upstairs neighbor and often stops on her way up or down from the tower to check on us and to invite us for a visit. In fact, while I was writing this post, she stopped to invite us and our "young man" to tea (I think especially the young man).

Mary's son Sizzo manages both this castle (an agricultural museum) and the regional museum at Schloss Tirol (the fortress up the hill). He teachers our students about the history of agriculture and the region, and ancient and Medieval iconography. His wife Brigitte leads a seminar on food and culture of the South Tirol, runs the animal operation at the farm, and feeds the crofters some of the best food they'll ever eat. Their sons Michi and Nik also live at and contribute to the life of the castle. Michi, just about to complete his MA in philosophy, teaches survival German and helps us to do pretty much anything we need to, from arranging and guiding us on field trips to helping with banking to letting us know which pizza places deliver. Nik runs the vineyard and advises us on anything related to wine and helps the crofters find fun things to do, such as bowling and sledding excursions. Both Michi and Nik are experts on the hiking culture of the region. Our hosts seem to be adept at making things quite efficient and relaxed at the same time, and they're all tolerant of the addition of a three-year-old bundle of energy in this stately and quiet castle.

Every day when we walk out of the castle to the farm or up to the village, we pass by a statue of "Mr. Pound." J likes to pretend that he's hiding from our absent host and then greets him with a "good morning Mr. Pound!" He's also in our list of "good nights" at the end of the day (along with the bunnies and cat). Though J is too young to appreciate it, the statue we greet is from the cast of the Henri Gaudier-Brzeska original, now in the National Gallery.