Portrait of Morosini by Michele Gordigiani
Annina Morosini

Annina Morosini, born Anna Sara Nicoletta Maria Rombo (Palermo 1864–1954), was an Italian noblewoman who was famous for her salons,patronage of the arts and her lovers.

Life

She was one of three daughters born to Agostino Rombo, the director of the Bank of Italy and his wife Caroline Thorel who came from a family of wealthy bankers. Annina's two sisters, Sonia and Sofia passed away very young, plunging her mother into depression and making her focus all her time and energy on Morosini.[1]

The family relocated from Palermo to Venice in the 1880s, where Annina's beauty as well as the wealth of the family made her appear as a very eligible bride. In May 1885 she married Michele (Gino) Morosini of the venetian Morosini family The wedding was a lavish affair attended by many members of the Venetian nobility. The pink wedding gown worn by the bride was made by the Worth fashion house.[2]

Her husband's family was seen as one of the ancient noble families of Venice, but they were poor in wealth. Nevertheless, through Annina's dowry and her husband's illustrious family it was seen as a splendid match. The newlyweds made their home at the luxurious palazzo Ca' d'Oro and in 1886 had a daughter named Morosina.[3]

But while Morosini threw herself into Venetian society, her husband was not interested in that life and was a reserved and shy person. The couple drifted apart and the separation became final when her husband moved to Paris to pursue his own interests.[4][5]

Morosini became a lady in waiting to Elena, Queen of Italy.

She then lived at the Palazzo da Mula on the Grand Canal and was called the "uncrowned Queen of Venice,” [6] "La Divina"[7] and "The Last Dogaress" because her husband's family had produced four doges and because of her being a leader of Venetian society.[8] The countess knew many luminaries of her day like Rilke, Proust Stravinsky and,Joyce.

She inherited the Villa Carlotta in Silea in 1913 from her father.[9]

Her daughter Morosina married Luigi Nicolis dei Conti di Robilant e Cereaglio,[6] the son of statesman Charles di Robilant.[3]

Several artists like Lino Selvatico, Ralph Curtis and CCherubino Kirchmayr and Vittorio Matteo Corcos[10] painted her.[11][12] She was also a friend of the writer Gabriele D'Annunzio[6] who used to say "that the countess ' dresses concealed a fishtail.[13]"

She was also intimate friend of the emperor Wilhelm II[14] as well as Amedeo of Savoy, Duke of Aosta, the brother of Umberto I. Elizabeth Barrett Browning was acquainted with her but complained that she kept her rooms dark and almost smothered with scent.[15]

There is an anecdote whch tells of her meeting with her rival socialite Luisa Casati who said to the countess: "When I was a child my father already told me about your famous beauty." To which Annina replied: "Without going so far back, my dear, your husband, every evening, spoke to me about yours";[1][16] the implication being that they were on intimate terms.

Morosini also attended the air show at Brescia and is mentioned briefly by Kafka in his short story The Aeroplanes at Brescia.[17]

In the 1930s the countess was seen as the leader of the social faction that represented [18] the old noble families of Venice.

Death

She continued on as a grand dame of society but rarely left her palazzo until her death in 1954 of a stroke.

References

  1. 1 2 Amedit, Rivista (2016-12-29). "LA MAGNIFICA NARCISISTA | La contessa Morosini, una leggenda veneziana". AMEDIT (in Italian). Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  2. ↑ Colferai, Luca (2023-10-27). Storia pettegola di Venezia (in Italian). Newton Compton Editori. ISBN 978-88-227-7865-9.
  3. 1 2 "Morosina Contessa Morosini". geni_family_tree. 1886-08-04. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  4. ↑ Zorzi, Pieralvise (2023-03-03). A Venezia lucean le stelle (in Italian). Neri Pozza Editore. ISBN 978-88-545-2708-9.
  5. ↑ Liebhart, Max R. (2020-08-13). Venedig. Geschichte – Kunst – Legenden (in German). Morsbach Verlag. ISBN 978-3-96018-068-5.
  6. 1 2 3 Hughes-Hallett, Lucy (2013-08-20). Gabriele d'Annunzio: Poet, Seducer, and Preacher of War. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-385-34970-3.
  7. ↑ Banffy, Miklos (2011-06-30). The Phoenix Land. Quercus. ISBN 978-1-908129-67-3.
  8. ↑ Alda, Frances (2014-12-03). Men, Women and Tenors. Read Books Ltd. ISBN 978-1-4474-9528-4.
  9. ↑ Pavan, Camillo (2005-11-10). Sile. La piarda di Casier: Barcari, burci, draghe e squeri (in Italian). Camillo Pavan.
  10. ↑ Corcos, Vittorio; Taddei, Ilaria (1997). Vittorio Corcos: il fantasma e il fiore (in Italian). Edifir. ISBN 978-88-7970-054-2.
  11. ↑ Amedit, Rivista (2016-12-29). "LA MAGNIFICA NARCISISTA | La contessa Morosini, una leggenda veneziana". AMEDIT (in Italian). Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  12. ↑ Gubernatis, Angelo De (1892). Dizionario degli artisti italiani viventi: pittori, scultori e architetti ; in 8 Fasc (in Italian). Le Monnier.
  13. ↑ Fraigneau, André (1957). The Venice I Love. Tudor Publishing Company.
  14. ↑ Barrett Browning, Elizabeth. "The Brownings -A research guide". pops.baylor.edu. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  15. ↑ Barrett Browning, Elizabeth (2023). "The Brownings- A research guide". pops.baylor.edu/.
  16. ↑ Colferai, Luca (2023-10-27). Storia pettegola di Venezia (in Italian). Newton Compton Editori. ISBN 978-88-227-7865-9.
  17. ↑ Kafka, Franz (2008-10-02). Metamorphosis and Other Stories. Penguin UK. ISBN 978-0-14-190002-5.
  18. ↑ McBrien, William (2011-05-04). Cole Porter. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-307-79188-7.
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