A Jacobite Gazetteer - Bavaria

In 1848 Prince Luitpold of Bavaria (brother-in-law to King Francis I and later father-in-law to Queen Mary IV and III) purchased this property from Baron von Pöllnitz. ¹

King Francis I and Queen Adelgunde stayed at the villa in the summer of 1854.²

Prince Ludwig of Bavaria (later King Ludwig III of Bavaria) spent his childhood summers here. When he married Princess Mary (later Queen Mary IV and III) it became their family summer home. Four of their children were born here: Princess Maria in 1872, Prince Karl in 1874, Princess Mathilde in 1877, and Princess Notburga in 1883.

The villa continued to be used as a summer residence, and later as a year-long residence by other members of the family. Princess Therese of Bavaria, sister of King Ludwig III, died here in 1925. During the Second World War it became the residence of Princess Maria (Duchess of Calabria) and her family; ³ she died here in 1954.

After the deaths of the Duke and Duchess of Calabria, the villa became the home of Princess Eleonore (daughter of Prince Franz, son of Queen Mary). For some time the villa was used as a home for foreign workers, and later as a restaurant. ⁴ Part of the villa was subdivided into several apartments. Antonia Wiedemann (daughter of Princess Editha, and divorced wife of Count Erich von Waldburg zu Zeil und Trauchburg, son of Princess Eleonore) now lives here. ⁵

The villa is located on the shore of the Bodensee (Lake Constance) near the village of Reutin which lies just to the east of the bridge which leads from the mainland to the island of Lindau. The main east-west road which travels along the Bodensee is Bregenzer Strasse; it curves left towards the bridge. After crossing the railway tracks, one immediately turns left onto Ladestrasse (the road which lies between the railway tracks and the shore of the lake). The villa is located at Ladestrasse 2.