Cristiana Brandolini d'Adda, Contessa di Valmareno ( Agnelli; born 16 February 1927), is an Italian socialite and member of the

Agnelli family The Agnelli family () is an Italian multi-industry business dynasty family founded by Giovanni Agnelli, one of the original founders of the Fiat motor company which became Italy's largest automobile manufacturer. They are also primarily known fo ...

Early life and family

Cristiana Agnelli was born on 16 February 1927 in

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) 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 from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

. Her father was

Edoardo Agnelli Edoardo Agnelli (9 June 1954 – 15 November 2000) was the eldest child and only son of Gianni Agnelli, the industrialist patriarch of Fiat S.p.A., and of Marella Agnelli, who was born '' Donna'' Marella Caracciolo di Castagneto. He converte ...

, an industrialist, and her mother was ''Donna''

Virginia Bourbon del Monte '' Donna'' Virginia Bourbon del Monte dei principi di San Faustino (24 May 1899 – 30 November 1945) was the wife of Edoardo Agnelli and the mother of Gianni Agnelli. Biography Born in Rome, she was the daughter of Carlo Bourbon del Monte, ...

, a noblewoman. Her paternal grandfather,

Giovanni Agnelli Giovanni Agnelli (13 August 1866 – 16 December 1945) was an Italian industrialist and principal founder of Fiat S.p.A., established in 1899. Under his leadership, Fiat became a cornerstone of Italy's automotive industry, significantly contr ...

, founded Fiat S.p.A. Her maternal grandfather was Carlo del Monte, Prince of San Faustino. She was the fifth of seven children. Her sisters were Princess Clara von Fürstenberg, Countess Susanna Rattazzi, and Countess Maria Sole. Her brothers were

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

Giorgio Agnelli Giorgio Agnelli (29 November 1929 – 2 April 1965) was a member of the Agnelli family. Early life and family Born in Turin, Agnelli was the second son and sixth child of Virginia Agnelli (born '' Donna'' Virginia Bourbon del Monte) and of t ...

, and

Umberto Agnelli Umberto Agnelli (; 1 November 1934 – 27 May 2004) was an Italian industrialist and politician. He was the third son of Virginia (born '' Donna'' Virginia Bourbon del Monte) and Edoardo Agnelli, and the youngest brother of Gianni Agnelli. Ag ...

. Agnelli's father died in a plane crash when she was eight years old and her mother died in a car accident when she was eighteen years old. Her paternal granddaughter is Coco Brandolini d'Adda, whose mother was the ambassador of the Valentino style in the world and whose sister

Bianca Brandolini d'Adda '' Donna'' Bianca Brandolini d'Adda dei conti di Valmareno (born 25 June 1987) is an Italian model, actress and socialite. Early life and family Bianca Brandolini d'Adda was born in Paris, France, to an ancient Venetian aristocratic family. H ...

had an on-off relationship with

Lapo Elkann Lapo Edovard Elkann (born 7 October 1977) is an Italian businessman, philanthropist, and socialite. He is the chairman, founder, and majority shareholder (53.37%) of the Italia Independent Group. He is also the president and founder of and Ind ...

, and her father descends from

Philip IV of France Philip IV (April–June 1268 – 29 November 1314), called Philip the Fair (), was King of France from 1285 to 1314. Jure uxoris, By virtue of his marriage with Joan I of Navarre, he was also King of Navarre and Count of Champagne as Philip&n ...

and

Maria Theresa of Austria Maria Theresa (Maria Theresia Walburga Amalia Christina; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was the ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position in her own right. She was the sovereig ...

Career

Brandolini d'Adda was photographed by

Cecil Beaton Sir Cecil Walter Hardy Beaton (14 January 1904 – 18 January 1980) was a British fashion, portrait and war photographer, diarist, painter, and interior designer, as well as costume designer and set designer for stage and screen. His accolades ...

in 1951. In 1973, she was added 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 ...

for "outstanding example of elegance without ostentation", and was elevated to the Best-Dressed Hall of Fame in 1975. She has been noted for her style and taste in both fashion and decorating.

Personal life

At the age of nineteen, Agnelli moved to Rome with her sister Susanna to study art. At a party in

Cortina d'Ampezzo Cortina d'Ampezzo (; , ; historical ) sometimes abbreviated to simply Cortina, is a town and ''comune'' in the heart of the southern (Dolomites, Dolomitic) Alps in the province of Belluno, in the Veneto region of Northern Italy. Situated on the ...

, where she was visiting her sister Clara, she met Brandolino Brandolini d'Adda, Count of Valmareno, nicknamed Brando, the son of Carlo Brandolini d'Adda, Count of Valmareno, the president of Municipal Company of Lagoon Waterborne Transport, and Maria José Alvares Pereira de Melo. In 1947, they were married in a Catholic ceremony at the Basilica of St. Bartholomew on the Island,

Tiber Island The Tiber Island (, Latin: ''Insula Tiberina'') is the only river island in the part of the Tiber which runs through Rome. Tiber Island is located in the southern bend of the Tiber. The island is boat-shaped, approximately long and wide, and ha ...

, in Rome. Upon marriage, Agnelli became Countess Brandolini d'Adda of Valmareno. Her husband was the descendant of Brandolino Brandolini, and of Erasmo Stefano of Narni by marriage of Brandolino's son Tiberto to Erasmo's daughter. Brandolino and Erasmo were close friends and in memory of this friendship, the coat of arms of the Brandolinis still bears the depiction of the braids of the famous captain of Narni. They had four sons: Tiberto, who was nicknamed Ruy, Leonello, Nuno, and Brandino. Tiberto would go on to marry Princess Georgina de Faucigny-Lucinge et Coligny, Nuno married Muriel Phan van Thiet, and Brandino married

Marie Angliviel de la Beaumelle Marie Brandolini d'Adda di Valmareno (née Angliviel de la Beaumelle; 7 April 1963 – 30 May 2013) was a French-Italian glass maker. Early life and family Marie Angliviel de la Beaumelle was born on April 7, 1963, in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts- ...

(1963-2013). The couple owned homes in Venice, Paris, and Geneva but mainly spent time at their country estate Vistorta. Brandolino Brandolini d'Adda, Count of Valmareno (Brandolini d'Adda's husband) died at the age of 85 in 2005.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brandolini d'Adda, Cristiana 1927 births Agnelli family Cristiana Countesses in Italy Italian socialites Living people People from Turin