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Maria Ruspoli Grammont Hugo |
Maria Ruspoli Grammont Hugo: we know that she was the third wife of the Duke of Grammont, one of the richest noblemen of France, then, when the duke died, she married Jean Hugo, son of the famous writer.Home| Castle| Church| Bottega del Ducato| Wines| Delightful| Tavern| Theatre | To Vigoleno| GuestBetween the two wars princess Maria Ruspoli Grammont Hugo lived for many years at Vigoleno (PC), a stone placed into the wall of the castle's garden-terrace is a reminder of the admirable restoration work.
Maria di Grammont welcomed in it actors, poets, writer. Amongst the people which were welcomed here were, the pianter and master of surrealism Max Ernst , the multiform genius Jean Cocteau, the 'prima donna' of the cinema Mary Pikford, the writer Elsa Maxwell, D'Annunzio and the pianist Arthur Rubinstein. During the second World War she lost Vigoleno castle and all its wealth. She went to New York dedicating herself to a beauty institute.
In 1953 at Biarritz, popular seaside resort of south-eastern France, she was the guest of honour of George Cuevas who bought her a villa at Aix en Provance.
The american journalist Elsa Maxwell wrote about her saying:
"When the Duke (of Grammont) died, leaving his wife a considerable fortune, Maria married Jean Hugo and restored Vigoleno castle, a magnificent medieval fortress lying on a mountainous promontory at Salsomaggiore, near Milan. Maria had a natural instinct for dramatical effects. Once, whilst I was leading a group of people, amongst which princess 'Winnie de Polignac', Arthur Rubenstein and a violin quartet who visited her during a frightening storm, Maria gave us each a guiding light which illuminated the entire profile of the castle with torches placed on the bastions and on the towers: a spectacle which would reduce next to nothing the electrical exhibitions of Broadway or Piccadilly." le esibizioni elettriche di Broadway o Piccadilly."
cparizzi@altrimedia.it
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