Marella Agnelli (; born

Donna Donna may refer to the short form of the honorific ''nobildonna'', the female form of Don (honorific) in Italian. People *Donna (given name); includes name origin and list of people and characters with the name * Roberto Di Donna (born 1968), Ita ...

Marella Caracciolo dei Principi di Castagneto ; 4 May 1927 – 23 February 2019)''

Almanach de Gotha The ''Almanach de Gotha'' (german: Gothaischer Hofkalender) is a directory of Europe's royalty and higher nobility, also including the major governmental, military and diplomatic corps, as well as statistical data by country. First publish ...

''. Gotha:

Justus Perthes Johann Georg Justus Perthes (11 September 1749, Rudolstadt, Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt – 2 May 1816, Gotha, Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg) was a German publisher and founder of the publishing house that bears his name. Life He was born in the Thuringian t ...

. 1942. pp. 398–399. was an

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noblewoman Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The character ...

art collector A private collection is a privately owned collection of works (usually artworks) or valuable items. In a museum or art gallery context, the term signifies that a certain work is not owned by that institution, but is on loan from an individual ...

socialite A socialite is a person from a wealthy and (possibly) aristocratic background, who is prominent in high society. A socialite generally spends a significant amount of time attending various fashionable social gatherings, instead of having tradit ...

, style icon and wife of

Fiat Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. (, , ; originally FIAT, it, Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino, lit=Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer, formerly part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and since 2021 a subsidiar ...

chairman

Gianni Agnelli Giovanni "Gianni" Agnelli (; 12 March 192124 January 2003), nicknamed ("The Lawyer"), was an Italian industrialist and principal shareholder of Fiat. As the head of Fiat, he controlled 4.4% of Italy's GDP, 3.1% of its industrial workforce a ...

. She often appeared in the fashion magazine ''

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...

.'' She was named to the

International Best Dressed List The International Best-Dressed Hall of Fame List was founded by fashionista Eleanor Lambert in 1940 as an attempt to boost the reputation of American fashion at the time. The American magazine ''Vanity Fair'' is currently in charge of the List a ...

Hall of Fame in 1963.

Background

''Donna'' Marella

Caracciolo Caracciolo () is an Italian surname most associated with the noble House of Carácciolo from the Kingdom of Naples. Other people with the name include: * Alberto Caracciolo, Argentinian musician * Andrea Caracciolo, Italian footballer * Battistel ...

dei Principi di Castagneto was born in

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico ...

, as member of the

House of Caracciolo The House of Caracciolo () is a prominent aristocratic family from the city of Naples. The Caracciolo are considered one of the most important families in the history of the Kingdom of Naples, holding relevant posts in the Spanish Empire as wel ...

, of the high

Italian nobility The nobility of Italy (Italian language, Italian: ''Nobiltà italiana'') comprised individuals and their families of the Italian Peninsula, and the islands linked with it, recognized by the sovereigns of the Italian city-states since the Middle Ag ...

. Her father was ''Don'' Filippo Caracciolo, 8th Prince di Castagneto, 3rd Duke di Melito, and hereditary Patrician of Naples (1903–1965), from an old

Neapolitan Neapolitan means of or pertaining to Naples, a city in Italy; or to: Geography and history * Province of Naples, a province in the Campania region of southern Italy that includes the city * Duchy of Naples, in existence during the Early and Hig ...

noble family. Her mother was the former Margaret Clarke (1898–1955) of

Rockford, Illinois Rockford is a city in Winnebago County, Illinois, located in the far northern part of the state. Situated on the banks of the Rock River, Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County (a small portion of the city is located in Ogle County). ...

. She had two brothers, ''Don'' Carlo Caracciolo (1925–2008), who inherited their father's titles in 1965 and founded the newspaper ''

La Repubblica ''la Repubblica'' (; the Republic) is an Italian daily general-interest newspaper. It was founded in 1976 in Rome by Gruppo Editoriale L'Espresso (now known as GEDI Gruppo Editoriale) and led by Eugenio Scalfari, Carlo Caracciolo and Arno ...

,'' being known as the "editor prince", referring to his aristocratic birth and elegant manner; and ''Don'' Nicola Caracciolo (born 1931), the holder since 2008 of the titles, as 10th Prince di Castagneto, 5th Duke di Melito, and hereditary Patrician of Naples.

Family

She was married in Osthoffen to

tycoon

on 19 November 1953; they would remain married until his death on 24 January 2003. They had two children: * Edoardo Agnelli (9 July 1954 15 November 2000) *Countess Margherita Agnelli de Pahlen (born 26 October 1955); married first in 1975 (divorcing in 1981) to

Alain Elkann Alain Elkann (born March 23, 1950) is an Italian novelist, journalist. Currently, Elkann is the conductor of cultural programs on Italian television. He is president of the Scientific Committee of the Italy–USA Foundation. A recurring theme in h ...

(born 23 March 1950) and second in 1991 to

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nobleman Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characteris ...

Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York ...

Sergei de Pahlen (born in 1944) ** John Philip Jacob Elkann (born 1 April 1976), married on 4 September 2004 Italian noblewoman ''

'' Lavinia Ida Borromeo Arese Taverna (born 10 March 1977) ***Leone Mosé Elkann (born 27 August 2006) ***Oceano Noah Elkann (born 11 November 2007) ***Vita Talita Elkann (born 23 January 2012) ** Lapo Eduard Elkann (born 7 October 1977), married on 7 October 2021 to Portuguese rally racer Joana Lemos (born 24 April 1973) **

Ginevra Elkann Ginevra Elkann (born 24 September 1979) is a London-born Italian film producer and director. She is a member of the Agnelli family and granddaughter of Italian industrialist Gianni Agnelli. Early life Elkann was born in London,

(born 24 September 1979), married on 25 April 2009 Italian

aristocrat The aristocracy is historically associated with "hereditary" or "ruling" social class. In many states, the aristocracy included the upper class of people (aristocrats) with hereditary rank and titles. In some, such as ancient Greece, ancient R ...

''Don'' Giovanni Gaetani dell'Aquila d'Aragona (born 2 May 1973) ***''Don'' Giacomo Gaetani dell'Aquila d'Aragona (born 15 August 2009) ***''Don'' Pietro Gaetani dell'Aquila d'Aragona (born 31 October 2012) ***''Donna'' Marella Gaetani dell'Aquila d'Aragona (born 27 May 2014) **Countess Maria de Pahlen (born in 1983) **Count Pierre de Pahlen (born in 1986) **Countess Sophie de Pahlen (born in 1988) **Countess Anna de Pahlen (born in 1988) **Countess Tatiana de Pahlen (born in 1990)

Career

Agnelli, who was educated in

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, was an assistant to Erwin Blumenfeld in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

(living on Park Avenue on the

Upper East Side The Upper East Side, sometimes abbreviated UES, is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 96th Street to the north, the East River to the east, 59th Street to the south, and Central Park/Fifth Avenue to the we ...

) early in her varied career, as well as an occasional editor and photographic contributor to Vogue. In 1973, she created a textile line for Abraham-Zumsteg, for which she was awarded the Resources Council's Roscoe (the design trade's equivalent of the Oscar) in 1977. An avid gardener, Agnelli authored a number of books on the subject, also providing many of the photographs. Two of her books are about the Garden of Ninfa (1999) and The Agnelli Gardens at

Villar Perosa Villar Perosa (Occitan ''Lhi Vialars''; French: ''Grand-Villars'') is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southwest of Turin. Villar Perosa borders the following municipali ...

(1998). More recently, she oversaw the opening of the

Renzo Piano Renzo Piano (; born 14 September 1937) is an Italian architect. His notable buildings include the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris (with Richard Rogers, 1977), The Shard in London (2012), the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City (2 ...

-designed art gallery Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli, built on the roof of the former

Lingotto Lingotto is the name of a district of Turin, Italy, as well as the name of the Lingotto building in Via Nizza. It once housed a car factory built by Italian automotive company Fiat and today houses the administrative headquarters of the manufac ...

Fiat factory in

Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...

, Italy. The Agnelli collection includes

Picasso Pablo Ruiz Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and Scenic design, theatre designer who spent most of his adult life in France. One of the most influential artists of the 20th ce ...

Renoir Pierre-Auguste Renoir (; 25 February 1841 – 3 December 1919) was a French artist who was a leading painter in the development of the Impressionist style. As a celebrator of beauty and especially feminine sensuality, it has been said that "Re ...

Canaletto Giovanni Antonio Canal (18 October 1697 – 19 April 1768), commonly known as Canaletto (), was an Italian painter from the Republic of Venice, considered an important member of the 18th-century Venetian school. Painter of city views or ...

Matisse Henri Émile Benoît Matisse (; 31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954) was a French visual artist, known for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor, but is known primar ...

and Canova masterpieces.

The Swans

The reserved, patrician tastemaker and socialite was also known for her inclusion in

Truman Capote Truman Garcia Capote ( ; born Truman Streckfus Persons; September 30, 1924 – August 25, 1984) was an American novelist, screenwriter, playwright and actor. Several of his short stories, novels, and plays have been praised as literary classics, ...

's circle of "swans" wealthy, stylish, and well-married women friends whose company he adored because they "had created themselves, as he had done", and "had stories to tell" According to Capote, Agnelli was "the European swan numero uno", one of the youngest in a group which included Babe Paley, Gloria Guinness,

C. Z. Guest Lucy Douglas "C. Z." Guest (''née'' Cochrane; February 19, 1920 – November 8, 2003) was an American stage actress, author, columnist, horsewoman, fashion designer, and socialite who achieved a degree of fame as a fashion icon. She was fre ...

Slim Keith Nancy "Slim" Keith, Lady Keith (born Mary Raye Gross; July 15, 1917 – April 6, 1990) was an American socialite and fashion icon during the 1950s and 1960s, exemplifying the American jet set. She and her friend Babe Paley were the thinly veil ...

, Pamela Harriman, Lee Radziwill and

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( ; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American socialite, writer, photographer, and book editor who served as first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. A p ...

. In her autobiography, ''

Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large na ...

'' publisher and Capote friend

Katharine Graham Katharine Meyer Graham (June 16, 1917 – July 17, 2001) was an American newspaper publisher. She led her family's newspaper, '' The Washington Post'', from 1963 to 1991. Graham presided over the paper as it reported on the Watergate scandal, w ...

recounted that the author once told her that if Paley and Agnelli were "both in Tiffany's window, Marella would be more expensive" (Personal History, p. 393). She was portrayed in the American biographical film '' Infamous'' (2006) by

Isabella Rossellini Isabella Fiorella Elettra Giovanna Rossellini (born 18 June 1952) is an Italian-American actress, author, philanthropist, and model. The daughter of the Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman and the Italian film director Roberto Rossellini, she is noted ...

Death

Agnelli died, aged 91, on 23 February 2019 at her home in

, Italy.

Honours

– Grand Officer Order of Merit of the Italian Republic: Awarded the third-highest civil honour in Italy, by President

Carlo Azeglio Ciampi Carlo Azeglio Ciampi (; 9 December 1920 – 16 September 2016) was an Italian politician and banker who was the prime minister of Italy from 1993 to 1994 and the president of Italy from 1999 to 2006. Biography Education Ciampi was born ...

on 13 September 2000.

Ancestry

Works (partial)

* Agnelli, Marella (2015). ''La Signora Gocà''. Milano: Piccola Biblioteca Adelphi. . * Agnelli, Marella; Caracciolo Chia, Marella (2014). ''Marella Agnelli The Last Swan''. New York City: Rizzoli. . * Agnelli, Marella; Caracciolo, Marella; Pejrone, Paolo (1998). ''The Agnelli Gardens at Villar Perosa Two Centuries of a Family Retreat''. New York City: Harry Abrams. . * Agnelli, Marella; Pietromarchi, Luca; Bright, Robert Emmett; Forquet, Federico (1987). ''Gardens of the Italian Villas''. New York City: Rizzoli. .