Baroness Micaela Almonester Pontalba
Encyclopedia
Baroness Micaela Almonester de Pontalba (November 6, 1795- April 20, 1874) was a wealthy New Orleans
businesswoman, and one of the most vibrant personalities of that city's history. An opera
and many novel
s have been written about her dramatic life.
She was responsible for the design and construction of the famous Pontalba Buildings
in Jackson Square
, in the heart of the French Quarter
.
, the only child of Andres Almonaster y Rojas
(June 19, 1728- April 26, 1798), and his aristocratic French wife, Louise de la Ronde, a member of one of the oldest white Creole
families in the city, and a cousin of General Pierre G.T. Beauregard. Don Andres, a native of Mayrene, Andalucia, Spain
, was a wealthy notary and politician who amassed a fortune in real estate from his power on the Cabildo
, the Spanish governing council of New Orleans, and his contacts with the Spanish Crown. On 20 March 1787, he married Louise de la Ronde, the daughter of Pierre Denis de la Ronde and Marie Madeleine Broutin, who was 30 years his junior having been born on July 25, 1758.
Her father died in April 1798, when Micaela was two and a half years old, and her mother Louise shortly afterwards married her second husband, Jean Baptiste Castillon. Being the sole heiress to a considerable fortune, Micaela was likely the richest little girl in the city. She was educated, along with other daughters of the elite, by the nuns at the old Ursulines Convent situated on la Rue Conde, now Chartres Street.
Shortly after her wedding on October 23, the de Pontalbas left Louisiana for France, where Micaela would trade her life as a pampered Creole girl for a terrifying existence at Mont-l'Évêque
, the de Pontalba chateau outside Paris. Although she bore her husband six children, and there was a constant succession of balls and parties held at the chateau, the interference of her eccentric father-in-law made the marriage a disaster.
Her father-in-law, Baron Joseph Delfau de Pontalba, who had served as an officer in the French and Spanish armies, was greedy and unstable, and would soon make Micaela's life a complete misery. The old baron, intent upon seizing the sizeable Almonester fortune, forced Micaela into signing a general Power of Attorney
giving her husband control over her assets, rents, and capital, both dotal, and as heir of her father. Whenever she returned to New Orleans to visit her family, the baron accused her of deserting her husband. By the 1830s, she was a virtual prisoner of the Pontalbas. In Paris she began a series of lawsuits to obtain a separation from Xavier, but lost them due to the strict French marriage laws.
Her attempts to protect her fortune enraged the baron, and finally on October 19, 1834, he shot Micaela point-blank with a pair of duelling pistols. Afterward, he committed suicide with the same pistols. She survived, despite having been shot in the chest and hands, with her fingers shattered. Pontalba was so inept that it took several attempts to kill himself.
in the heart of the French Quarter
, today known as the Pontalba Buildings
. Their construction cost more than $300,000. When the Swedish singer Jenny Lind
visited New Orleans in 1851 she stayed at the apartments; afterward, Micaela auctioned the furniture Lind had used. Micaela was also instrumental in the name change of Place d'Armes to Jackson Square; as well as the decision to convert it from a parade ground to a formal garden.
She also commissioned the construction of a large town house in Paris, known today as the Hôtel de Pontalba
and official residence of the United States Ambassador to France
. When Micaela Almonester de Pontalba died in this mansion in Paris on April 20, 1874 at the age of seventy-eight, she was already a legend in the city of her birth.
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
businesswoman, and one of the most vibrant personalities of that city's history. An opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
and many novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s have been written about her dramatic life.
She was responsible for the design and construction of the famous Pontalba Buildings
Pontalba Buildings
The Pontalba Buildings form two sides of Jackson Square in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana.These are matching red-brick block long 4‑story buildings built in the 1840s by the Baroness Micaela Almonester Pontalba...
in Jackson Square
Jackson Square, New Orleans
Jackson Square, also known as Place d'Armes, is a historic park in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960.-Design:...
, in the heart of the French Quarter
French Quarter
The French Quarter, also known as Vieux Carré, is the oldest neighborhood in the city of New Orleans. When New Orleans was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the city was originally centered on the French Quarter, or the Vieux Carré as it was known then...
.
Family
Micaela Leonarda Antonia Almonester was born November 6, 1795, in New Orleans, LouisianaLouisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, the only child of Andres Almonaster y Rojas
Andres Almonaster y Rojas
Don Andres Almonaster y Rojas was a Spanish civil servant of New Orleans, today chiefly remembered for his numerous charitable benefactions to the city.Born of a noble Andalusian family, he came to Louisiana in the early days of the Spanish rule there,...
(June 19, 1728- April 26, 1798), and his aristocratic French wife, Louise de la Ronde, a member of one of the oldest white Creole
Louisiana Creole people
Louisiana Creole people refers to those who are descended from the colonial settlers in Louisiana, especially those of French and Spanish descent. The term was first used during colonial times by the settlers to refer to those who were born in the colony, as opposed to those born in the Old World...
families in the city, and a cousin of General Pierre G.T. Beauregard. Don Andres, a native of Mayrene, Andalucia, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, was a wealthy notary and politician who amassed a fortune in real estate from his power on the Cabildo
Cabildo (council)
For a discussion of the contemporary Spanish and Latin American cabildo, see Ayuntamiento.A cabildo or ayuntamiento was a former Spanish, colonial administrative council that governed a municipality. Cabildos were sometimes appointed, sometimes elected, but were considered to be representative of...
, the Spanish governing council of New Orleans, and his contacts with the Spanish Crown. On 20 March 1787, he married Louise de la Ronde, the daughter of Pierre Denis de la Ronde and Marie Madeleine Broutin, who was 30 years his junior having been born on July 25, 1758.
Her father died in April 1798, when Micaela was two and a half years old, and her mother Louise shortly afterwards married her second husband, Jean Baptiste Castillon. Being the sole heiress to a considerable fortune, Micaela was likely the richest little girl in the city. She was educated, along with other daughters of the elite, by the nuns at the old Ursulines Convent situated on la Rue Conde, now Chartres Street.
Marriage
In keeping with Creole tradition, a marriage was arranged for Micaela in 1811 when she was fifteen. Her husband was her cousin, Xavier Celestin Delfau de Pontalba.Shortly after her wedding on October 23, the de Pontalbas left Louisiana for France, where Micaela would trade her life as a pampered Creole girl for a terrifying existence at Mont-l'Évêque
Mont-l'Évêque
Mont-l'Évêque is a small village in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune within the département of Oise.-References:*...
, the de Pontalba chateau outside Paris. Although she bore her husband six children, and there was a constant succession of balls and parties held at the chateau, the interference of her eccentric father-in-law made the marriage a disaster.
Her father-in-law, Baron Joseph Delfau de Pontalba, who had served as an officer in the French and Spanish armies, was greedy and unstable, and would soon make Micaela's life a complete misery. The old baron, intent upon seizing the sizeable Almonester fortune, forced Micaela into signing a general Power of Attorney
Power of attorney
A power of attorney or letter of attorney is a written authorization to represent or act on another's behalf in private affairs, business, or some other legal matter...
giving her husband control over her assets, rents, and capital, both dotal, and as heir of her father. Whenever she returned to New Orleans to visit her family, the baron accused her of deserting her husband. By the 1830s, she was a virtual prisoner of the Pontalbas. In Paris she began a series of lawsuits to obtain a separation from Xavier, but lost them due to the strict French marriage laws.
Her attempts to protect her fortune enraged the baron, and finally on October 19, 1834, he shot Micaela point-blank with a pair of duelling pistols. Afterward, he committed suicide with the same pistols. She survived, despite having been shot in the chest and hands, with her fingers shattered. Pontalba was so inept that it took several attempts to kill himself.
The Pontalba Buildings
Finally, after several more lawsuits, Micaela was granted legal separation from her husband, who had become Baron de Pontalba upon his father's suicide; however, they were never actually divorced. In New Orleans, a civil law judge ordered the restitution of her property. Her contemporaries described her as shrewd, intelligent, vivacious, and business-like. In the late 1840s, Micaela designed and commissioned the construction of the beautifully elegant town houses in Jackson SquareJackson Square, New Orleans
Jackson Square, also known as Place d'Armes, is a historic park in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960.-Design:...
in the heart of the French Quarter
French Quarter
The French Quarter, also known as Vieux Carré, is the oldest neighborhood in the city of New Orleans. When New Orleans was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the city was originally centered on the French Quarter, or the Vieux Carré as it was known then...
, today known as the Pontalba Buildings
Pontalba Buildings
The Pontalba Buildings form two sides of Jackson Square in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana.These are matching red-brick block long 4‑story buildings built in the 1840s by the Baroness Micaela Almonester Pontalba...
. Their construction cost more than $300,000. When the Swedish singer Jenny Lind
Jenny Lind
Johanna Maria Lind , better known as Jenny Lind, was a Swedish opera singer, often known as the "Swedish Nightingale". One of the most highly regarded singers of the 19th century, she is known for her performances in soprano roles in opera in Sweden and across Europe, and for an extraordinarily...
visited New Orleans in 1851 she stayed at the apartments; afterward, Micaela auctioned the furniture Lind had used. Micaela was also instrumental in the name change of Place d'Armes to Jackson Square; as well as the decision to convert it from a parade ground to a formal garden.
She also commissioned the construction of a large town house in Paris, known today as the Hôtel de Pontalba
Hôtel de Pontalba
Hôtel de Pontalba is a French mansion located at 41 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France. It is the official residence of the United States Ambassador to France.- History :...
and official residence of the United States Ambassador to France
United States Ambassador to France
This article is about the United States Ambassador to France. There has been a United States Ambassador to France since the American Revolution. The United States sent its first envoys to France in 1776, towards the end of the four-centuries-old Bourbon dynasty...
. When Micaela Almonester de Pontalba died in this mansion in Paris on April 20, 1874 at the age of seventy-eight, she was already a legend in the city of her birth.
Sources
- http://www.FrenchQuarter.com.
- Jackson Square by Henry Renshaw.Louisiana Historical Quarterly
- Old Ursulines Convent.Website.