Contessa di Castiglione_1

Virginia Oldoini, Countess of Castiglione. Portrait by Michele Gordigiani, 1862.

Virginia Elisabetta Luisa Carlotta Antonietta Teresa Maria Oldoini Verasis Asinari, Countess of Castiglione, was born in Florence on 22nd March 1837.

In 1856-1857, she became the mistress of the Emperor of France Napoléon III. After the end of their relationship, she continued to influence the French foreign policy.
In July 1856, Virginia Oldoini also began posing for Pierre-Louis Pierson, a photographer favored by the imperial court. In three different periods (1856-58, 1861-67 and 1893-95), she directed Pierson in 700 photographs, inspired by her mundane life.

Virginia Oldoini, Countess of Castiglione, died in Paris on 28th November 1899.


Poster and lobby card (below) for Flavio Calzavara's La Contessa Castiglione (English title: The Countess of Castiglione; 1942), starring Doris Duranti and Andrea Checchi.



Doris Duranti as the Countess of Castiglione.


Above and below: posters for Georges Combret's La Contessa di Castiglione (English title: The Contessa's secret; 1954), starring Yvonne De Carlo, Georges Marchal, Rossano Brazzi and Lea Padovani.



Yvonne De Carlo (as the Countess of Castiglione) and Georges Marchal.


Yvonne De Carlo and Rossano Brazzi.


Cover of the fotonovela for La Contessa di Castiglione (1954), featuring Yvonne De Carlo and Georges Marchal.