Page 10 - Bulletin 5 2001
P. 10
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Fig. 1.3: Sir Joseph Robinson, (South African Who’s Who, 1919-1920.)
She married Count Labia who came to South Africa in the late 1920s as Italian Minister
Plenipotentiary, and with her money they built the palatial mansion known as ‘The Fort’, as it
stood on the site of the Battle of Muizenberg.
When they married he was only a Count, not being of Royal blood. Ida became a good Italian
wife and lent 2 million pounds to the Italian Government (which was never repaid) and also
persuaded all Italian wives to give their jewellery to Mussolini. As a result of this largesse he
was “upped” to a Prince!
The Labias owned a great deal of property in Muizenberg and also on the eastern side of
Sandvlei, where she built a mausoleum for him on his death. When the Marina was built his
body was moved to ‘Hawthorndene’, the family home in Wynberg, where she lived in later
years.
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