Cecilia Maria de Candia
Encyclopedia
Cecilia Maria de Candia later Mrs Godfrey Pearse, was a British-Italian writer, amateur singer and society hostess. She was the daughter of two famous opera singers, Giulia Grisi
and Giovanni Matteo de Candia—a marquise who sang under the popular name of Mario
the tenor.
In her childhood, she traveled extensively with her parents, who moved their main home from Florence
to London
in 1869. And she grew up surrounded by the artistic elite of Europe, the friends and colleagues of her parents. The de Candia family
was part of the Italian nobility, and at birth, Cecilia Maria was registered as princess
Cecilia Maria de Candia, Countess of Candia in the Italian Kingdom of Sardinia
and Noble Lady (it: Nobile Donna) of the United Kingdom of Italy
; from her mother family she was related to the Royal House of Greece.
She married Godfrey Pearse a "fencing
champion" and they lived first in London
, and some seasons in Brighton
. They were good friends and correspondents of the famous Scottish painter James McNeill Whistler
.
As Mrs Godfrey Pearse, she published three books:
She died while conducting research and writing her last book at her father's home—the Villa Salviati in Tuscany
.
Giulia Grisi
Giulia Grisi, also known as Madame De Candia was an Italian opera singer...
and Giovanni Matteo de Candia—a marquise who sang under the popular name of Mario
Mario (tenor)
Giovanni Matteo "Mario" was an Italian opera singer. The most celebrated tenor of his era, he was lionized by audiences in Paris and London.-Early life:...
the tenor.
In her childhood, she traveled extensively with her parents, who moved their main home from Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1869. And she grew up surrounded by the artistic elite of Europe, the friends and colleagues of her parents. The de Candia family
House of Candia
The House of Candia is a European dynastic house, created by a junior branch of the House of Anjou originally from "Castrum Candiaco" in the Dauphiné of the nobility of Savoy and Piemont...
was part of the Italian nobility, and at birth, Cecilia Maria was registered as princess
Princess
Princess is the feminine form of prince . Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or his daughters....
Cecilia Maria de Candia, Countess of Candia in the Italian Kingdom of Sardinia
Kingdom of Sardinia
The Kingdom of Sardinia consisted of the island of Sardinia first as a part of the Crown of Aragon and subsequently the Spanish Empire , and second as a part of the composite state of the House of Savoy . Its capital was originally Cagliari, in the south of the island, and later Turin, on the...
and Noble Lady (it: Nobile Donna) of the United Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
; from her mother family she was related to the Royal House of Greece.
She married Godfrey Pearse a "fencing
Fencing
Fencing, which is also known as modern fencing to distinguish it from historical fencing, is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons.Fencing is one of four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games...
champion" and they lived first in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and some seasons in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
. They were good friends and correspondents of the famous Scottish painter James McNeill Whistler
James McNeill Whistler
James Abbott McNeill Whistler was an American-born, British-based artist. Averse to sentimentality and moral allusion in painting, he was a leading proponent of the credo "art for art's sake". His famous signature for his paintings was in the shape of a stylized butterfly possessing a long stinger...
.
As Mrs Godfrey Pearse, she published three books:
- The Romance of a Great Singer: A Memoir of Mario (1910) (with Frank Hird)
- The Kitchen Garden and the Cook: An Alphabetical Guide to the Cultivation of Vegetables (1913)
- The Enchanted Past (1926).
She died while conducting research and writing her last book at her father's home—the Villa Salviati in Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
.