A watercolour showing a view from the River Toce, Italy. The river is shown in the foreground, with trees shown lining its banks. Mountains are shown behind and in the background. Inscribed lower left: Near the Toce - looking towards the Simplon Ap: 5. 1879. Queen Victoria visited Baveno, Italy from 28 March to 23 April 1879, staying at the Villa Clara on the shores of Lake Maggiore. On 5 April 1879 the Queen went for a carriage ride with her daughter Princess Beatrice. In her journal entry of that day, Queen Victoria describes how they "Turned up a rough road, close by the river Toce. Here we stopped for nearly an hour, while I sketched the glorious view towards the Simplon".