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Iris Margaret Origo, née  Cutting  (Birdlip 15 August 1902 – Sienna 28 june 1988 was an English writer.

Biography
This anglo-Irish-American writer, that she has been careful witness of its time interweaving tightened ties between various cultures, has dedicated, among other things, great part of own life to the improvement of the possessions in Tuscany, and in particular of the called estate La Foce "river mouth", Chianciano, not far from Montepulciano, acquired in 1927 with her husband, marquis Antonio Origo.

Iris Margaret Cutting is born to Birdlip, in England, the day of mid-August holiday of 1902 from William Bayard Cutting, son of a rich family philanthropist of New York and from Sybil Cuffe, daughter of Lord Desart, Pairs of Ireland. Its parents after the wedding travel a little all over the world, but above all in Italy. As a result of early death of Bayard Cutting in the 1910, Sybil Cuffe settles with the daughter Iris in Italy, acquiring the Villa Medical to Fiesole, one of the most spectacular Florentine villas. There Bernhard Berenson comes itself to establish a strong friendship with the art critic, than weevers not very far away, in resort “the Tacts”.

Iris remains enrolled for short time to the public school to London, but its formation is carried out mainly to house, in familiar within, above all by professor Solon Mounts and of a series of French governors and tedesche.

In 1918 the mother of Iris remarries with the historian of the architecture Geoffrey Scott, than more late embark themselves in a relation with Vita Sackville-West. The hard wedding until the 1927; as a result of their divorce she spouse for the third time with the essayist Percy Lubbock. He dies in the 1943. As a result of the dead women of the mother Iris he moves himself in England and the United States in the perspective to try to assert in both the States. In 1922 it meets Colin Mackenzie, a young businessman Scot that he works to Milan; a romantic epistolary correspondence comes continuation from a friendship that lasts for all the life. 4 March 1924 Iris spouse Antonio Origo, “endowed man of good presence and much fascination”, illegitimate son of marquis Clemente Origo. They move to their new estate, La Foce, near Chianciano Terme, in province of Sienna.

It is a place in state of great abandonment, even lacking in an access road, but through large grindstones of hard job, cures and attention, they not only succeed to transform the villa but also to giving a solid organization to the agricultural company, that it counts 1400 hectares of land and 57 tenanted farms to share cropping. They are born a son male, Gian Clemente Bayard, familiarly called Gianni (24 june 1925 – 30 April 1933), that he dies of meningitis not even eight years of age, and two daughters females: Benedetta (1º August 1940) and Donata (9 june 1943).

As a result of the dead women of Gianni Iris it undertakes its career of writer with a biography of Giacomo Leopardi, published in the 1935 and very very received from the critic. The daily paper “The Observer” so annotates: “Its text is an erudition monument. Its historical and literary background is colouring with consumed ability and a foundation of good taste”.

During the Second world war the Origo remain at La Foce and boat people are lavished to the assistance of the children that are lodged there. Moreover, after the yield of Italy, Iris offers to shelter or assistance to many “Allied” prisoners of war in escape, that they try to find a passage through the German lines or, simply, to survive. Its report of this period, “War in Val d' Orcia”, it is first of its books to meet smash hit, as well as to people how much of critic.

After the war Iris it divides its time between La Foce and Rome, where meantime the Origo had acquisato an apartment in Palazzo Orsini, and dedication to the writing. The Origo, moreover, used to pass the vacations near “the Scafari”, the made house to construct from the mother of Iris to Lerici, on the Gulf of La Spezia.

Antonio Origo dies the 27 june 1976, while Iris extinguishes in loneliness the 28 june 1988. In the 1977 Order of the British Empire was fregiata of the title of Honorary Dame Commander (Honorary Checkers of Commenda) of the British Empire (D.B.E.). Its descendants continue to perpetrate the love that Irises and its husband Antonio Origo had for the culture and every form of art. In particular the four sons have inherited this passion whom Blessed he has had with the husband Alberto Lysy: Antonio, Katia, Giovanna and Simonetta. In fact, Antonio Lysy is cellist to international, famous level in order to have sounded the essay “Pampas” that a Latin Grammy Award]] in the 2010] is worth [[] to [[the composer Argentine Lalo Schifrin and from the 2012 is university professor in the department of music of University of California to Los Angeles City. Antonio has followed the paternal tracks: Alberto Lysy was a great native violinist of Buenos Aires, that he was friendly student and of Yehudi Menuhin and with which the “International Menuhin founded in 1977 Academy Music”.

Also the daughters of Benedetta dedicate themselves to the defense of the culture and the art: Katia manages with the husband an inn that protects the ancient tastes, Simonetta is a dancer who has studied to the Royal Ballet of London, while Giovanna is a carver. Benedetta Origo alive still in the estate of family to “The River mouth “, but all the members of the family, also living elsewhere, are many legacies and from the 1989 “Encounters in Sienna” have promoted the musical Festival that every year in July near La Foce is carried out.

Works

 * “Leopardi” (1935), a biography of Giacomo Leopardi.
 * “Gianni”, the commemoration of the printed publication son of Iris in private.
 * “the Saint World Bernardino” (1935), a “life” of Saint Bernardino from Sienna, that it has like prerogative that not to be a mere biography that marks the chronological stages of the life of the Saint, but from there draws cue in order to paint a portrait much faithful of the civil society to the time in which it lived.
 * “the Glad” (1935), short life of the daughter of Byron.
 * “War in Val d' Orcia” (1947), the statement of the experiences lived first hand from Iris in the second World war, form of diary.
 * “last tie” (1949), a version of the relation between Byron and the Countess Guiccioli.
 * “Giovanni and Jane” (1950), a book for children. * “the Merchant of Prato” (1957), cracked of the life and the times of Francesco di a Marco Datini.
 * “a measure of Love” (1957), a collection of biographical tests.
 * “Images and shadows” (1970), an elegiac autobiography.
 * “wandering path” (1972), an anthology of chosen pieces.
 * “a friend. Portrait of Elsa Dallolio” (1982), the memory of a friend of old date, written and published in died occasion of she.
 * “Need to testify” (1984), containing the biographies of Ignazio Silone, Gaetano Salvemini, Ruth Draper and Lauro De Bosis, four contemporary antifascists of the author. == Notes ==

Biographical sources

 * Caroline Moorehead, “Iris Origo, Marchioness of Val d' Orcia”, London, John Murray, 2000
 * Gianna Pomata, “From the biography to the history and return: Iris Origo between Bloomsbury and Tuscany”, in “Genesis”, 6/1, 2007, pp. 117-156