Marta Chávarri de Figueroa (1 August 1960 – 21 July 2023) was a Spanish

socialite A socialite is a person, typically a woman from a wealthy or 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 ...

known as the first

it girl An "it girl" is an attractive, well-known young woman who is perceived to have both sex appeal and a personality that is especially engaging. The expression ''it girl'' originated in British upper-class society around the turn of the 20th&nbs ...

in Spain.

Early life and education

Born in

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

to diplomat Tomás Chávarri and Matilde Figueroa, Chávarri spent much of her childhood in the United States. Her maternal grandfather was the Marquis of Santo Floro.

Personal life

On 4 September 1982, she married Fernando Falcó y de Córdoba, 3rd Marquis of Cubas, in Plasencia Cathedral. Their union, celebrated in the family’s 15th-century Palace of Mirabel, produced one son, Álvaro (b. 1983), and placed Chávarri at the centre of Spain’s aristocracy. Her relaxed, “

preppy Preppy (also spelled as preppie, or prep), is an American subculture associated with the alumni of college-preparatory schools in the Northeastern United States. The term, which is an abbreviation of "preparatory", is used to denote a person ...

” style, reminiscent of

Princess Diana Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997), was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William ...

, made her a sought-after magazine subject and a touchstone for young members of la alta sociedad. In February 1989,

Diez Minutos ''Diez Minutos'' ( Spanish: ''Ten Minutes'') is a Spanish language weekly celebrity, entertainment and women's magazine published in Madrid, Spain. The magazine has been in circulation since 1951. History and profile ''Diez Minutos'' was started ...

published photographs of Chávarri leaving a

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

hotel with billionaire contractor

Alberto Cortina Alberto Cortina de Alcocer (born 20 January 1947) is a Spanish billionaire businessman. Through his holding Percacer, he is co-owner, with his cousin Alberto Alcocer, of Alcor Holding, the owner of 12.5% of Grupo ACS, the biggest construction co ...

, revealing an extramarital affair that captivated the nation. A second set of images, printed on 14 February by

Interviú ''Interviú'' (a Spanish Anglicism for "interview") was a Spanish language weekly news magazine published in Madrid, Spain. It was in circulation between 1976 and 2018. History and profile ''Interviú'' was established in 1976 in Barcelona by a ...

and showing her in a nightclub without underwear, shattered previous limits on Spanish tabloid coverage and broke the magazine's sales record. The fallout was swift: Falcó filed for divorce and gained custody of their son; Cortina lost the chairmanship of

Construcciones y Contratas The FCC Group, formerly Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas, S. A. (currently one of the group's entities), is a Spanish business group, based in Barcelona. It has specialised in public services. Its shares were first listed on the stock exchan ...

during a contested banking merger. Chávarri married Cortina in 1991; the couple divorced in 1995. Subsequent relationships included entrepreneur

Philippe Junot Philippe Junot (born 19 April 1940) is a French venture capitalist and property developer, who was the first husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco. He has business interests in Paris, Spain and New York City. Background and family Philippe Juno ...

and British sculptor Richard Hudson. She frequently litigated against invasive press coverage, winning notable damages from

in 1994. After a serious fall that required facial surgery, she withdrew from public life, devoting time to painting and travel but occasionally reappearing at family events, including her son’s 2022 wedding.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chávarri, Marta 1960 births 2023 deaths People from Madrid Spanish socialites Noblewomen from Spain