Maria Tescanu Rosetti (1879–1968), was a Romanian aristocrat and royal court official.

Life

Born in

Berești-Tazlău Berești-Tazlău is a Commune in Romania, commune in Bacău County, Western Moldavia, Romania. It is composed of seven villages: Berești-Tazlău, Boșoteni, Enăchești, Prisaca, Românești, Tescani, and Turluianu. Natives * Maria Tescanu Roset ...

, Bacău County, she was a descendant of some illustrious Moldavian boyar families. Her father Dumitru was descended from the Rosetti family, and from her mother, Alice Rosetti-Tescanus, from the Negri-Jora, and both were well-known intellectuals. Dumitru was a philosopher, sociologist, publicist, translator of

Vasile Conta Vasile Conta (; hy, Վասիլե Գրիգորեիի Կոնտա (Գոնտա); November 15, 1845 – April 21, 1882) was a Romanian philosopher, poet, and politician. He was born in Ghindăoani, a village in Bălțătești commune, Neamț County ...

's work into French, and her mother, known to have collected "one of the most valuable libraries of the time" was a pianist connoisseur of universal music and literature. She spent her childhood and adolescence in Tescani and was schooled at home by governesses, who helped Maria acquire "a vast culture through reading, correspondence and travel." She was a lady-in-waiting to queen

Marie of Romania Marie (born Princess Marie Alexandra Victoria of Edinburgh; 29 October 1875 – 18 July 1938) was the last Queen of Romania as the wife of King Ferdinand I. Marie was born into the British royal family. Her parents were Prince Alfred, D ...

. At the age of 19, she married

Mihail G. Cantacuzino Mihail G. Cantacuzino (6 April 1867 – 28 August 1928) was a Romanian politician. After receiving doctorates in Law and Literature from the University of Paris, he became a prominent member of the Conservative Party. He served as Mayor of Bu ...

, her first husband and they became parents to the aviator Constantin Cantacuzino. Later she was a lover of Nae Ionescu and later married to composer George Enescu. She moved in Romania's highest aristocratic circles and befriended by

Matila Ghyka Prince Matila Costiescu Ghyka (; born ''Matila Costiescu''; 13 September 1881 – 14 July 1965), was a Romanian naval officer, novelist, mathematician, historian, philosopher, academic and diplomat. He did not return to Romania after World ...

, Jean Chryssoveloni, Martha Bibescu,

Cella Delavrancea Cella Delavrancea (15 December 1887 – 9 August 1991) was a Romanian pianist, writer and teacher of piano, eldest daughter of writer Barbu Ștefănescu Delavrancea, sister of architect Henrieta Delavrancea-Gibory, Niculina Delavrancea and "Bebs" ...

, Nae Ionescu and

Alice Voinescu Alice Voinescu (10 February 1885 – 4 June 1961) was a Romanian writer, essayist, university professor, theatre critic, and translator. She was the first Romanian woman to become a Doctor of Philosophy, which she did at the Sorbonne in 1913 i ...

. During World War I, she was a central figure in a scandal at an

Iași Iași ( , , ; also known by other alternative names), also referred to mostly historically as Jassy ( , ), is the second largest city in Romania and the seat of Iași County. Located in the historical region of Moldavia, it has traditionally ...

hospital, where she was among those who had forced wounded soldiers to perform for her and her guests during banquets. In February 1918, she was one of a group of female aristocrats who, supported by the queen, participated in a demonstration against the war policy of Prime Minister General Alexandru Averescu.Constantin Argetoianu, ''Memorii, vol. V'', Editura Machiavelli, București,1995, pp. 11-12 She died in Geneva at age 90 in 1968, and was buried at Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, next to the remains of her second husband George Enescu.

Work

Maria published her memoirs, written in French (''Ombres et lumière. Souvenirs d´une Princesse Moldave/ Shadows and lights. Memories of a Moldavian princess''), where she described the evolution of Romanian society from 1850 to 1953.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tescanu Rosetti 1879 births 1968 deaths People from Bacău County Ladies-in-waiting 20th-century Romanian women Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery