User:Giano/Orietta Doria Pamphilj

Orietta Emily Mary Pogson Doria Pamphili Landi di Melfi (1922 - 2000) was an Italian philanthropist, Christian worker and socialite. Following the death of her father, Prince Filippo Andrea VI Doria Pamphilj, she inherited titles, extensive estates and the headship of the Doria Pamhilj, one of Italy's most noble families. In later life, pursuaded by her children, she broke with long held Roman aristocratic traditions of a languid reticence and hiding wealth by opening her Rome palazzo to the public on an evidently commercial basis. Thus one of Italy's most notable and largest art collections came to be on full public display.

Doria Pamphilj
The Doria Pamphilj family's wealth was rooted in the 16th century and Admiral Andrea Doria an Italian condottiere from Genoa. By the 20th century the family titles included four princedoms, two dukedoms and eight marquisates. The honour of the titles was maintained by incomes fom vast estates spread across the country. When the family left their palaces in Rome and Genoa to reside on their country estates, they were always accompanied by the corpse of their own personal and long dead saint.

A notable member of the family was Pope Innocent X, do a quick para here about Olimpia Aldobrandini

Early life
Doria Pamilj was the only daughter of Prince Filippo Doria-Pamphili-Landi di Melfi, born 1886, and Gesine Mary Dykes. Her mother, her paternal grandmother and paternal great grandmother were all daughters of British peers, a consequence of which was that Doroa Pampjilj was brought up to not only to speak English, but also to be a great Anglophile. Later, this was to be reflected in her work to bring about reconciliation and a greater understanding between the Anglican and Roman Catholic|Catholic]] churches. From birth Orietta Doria Pamphilj resided in the family's palazzo in Rome's Via del Corso, an enormous Baroque edifice it contains over 1000 rooms, and is one of the three largest palace's the Italain capital. The palazzo was furnished with a pricelss art collection which included works by Titian, Caravaggio and Raphael and Velasquez.

The rise of the Fascisti was to interupt the families gilded existence, Prince Doria Pamphilj was a noted opposer of Mussolini. Following his refusal to join the Fascisti, his daughter was prohibited from attending any of Rome's schools. The family's precrious position was fully brought home to them when their home was attacked by a mob because it was not flying the fascis flag.

Eventually, Prince Andrea was interned and sent to a concentration camp, where he remained until the death of Mussolini in 1943. However, Mussolini's death did not see an end to the family's unpoplarity and they were forced into hiding in the slums of Rome. Doria Pamphilj, considered to be at risk of kidnap, was forced into disguise.

It was at this time, in league with the Resistance, that the prince plotted to explode the Villa Doria Pamphilij which had become the headquarters of the Waffen SS. The plot never came to fruition, but at the cessation of hostilities, the villa was looted and vandalised by the retreating Germans.

In 1944, Prince Doria became the first mayor of Rome after its Liberation by the Allies. Fully rehabilitated into Roman society, the 22year old Orietta Doria Pamphilj joined the Catholic Women's League. It was while working for the league in Ancona that she first met her futire husband, Sub-Lieutenant Frank Pogson. The story pervades that she initially gave Pogson no clue as to her background, describing he home only as a "big old place."

Later life
In 1958, Doria Pamhilg married a British naval commander, Frank Pogson. In order to preserve the Doria Pamphilj name, Pogson adopted it by deed poll immeduatly before the marriage.

The death that same year of the Doroa Pamphilj's father meant that the she was faced with heavy death duties. This neccesitated the serious reform and in some cases disposal of many historic assetts. Among the properties sold was the family's second Rome palazzo, located in the Piazza Navona. The Villa Doria Pamphilij, which Prince Andea VI, has considered exploding was given to the Italian governement along with 180 acres on the Janiculum Hill.

Legacy
She was survived by her two adopted children, Gesine Pogson Doria Pamphilj, who married Massimiliano Floridi (they have four children: Anna, Elisa, Orietta and Irene), and Prince Jonathan Doria Pamphilj who formed a Civil Partnership with Elson Edeno Braga, and has two children: Emily and Filippo Andrea VII.

Notes to me
New York times

The nobility of Italia