The Philanthropic and Tragic Life of the Duchess of Plaisance in Athens

A drafting of the Duchess. Public Domain

The French aristocrat and a fervent Philhellene, Sophie de Marbois, is champion known by her rubric of nobility, the Duchess of Plaisance, and became a legendary fig successful Athens during the formative years pursuing the Greek War of Independence.

In Greece, she is amended known arsenic the Duchess of Plakentia and the sanction is synonymous with Mount Penteli and bluish Athens. However, this is not a Greek word. It is the Hellenized mentation of the Latin Placentia (the Italian metropolis of Piacenza). The Duchess held the French rubric Duchesse de Plaisance, but the Greek radical of the 19th period adapted the phonetics into the sanction we cognize today. It has struck a imperishable chord successful the Greek language, evolving from a overseas rubric of nobility into the sanction of a large Athenian territory and transport hub.

Duchess of Plaisance: A beingness of transition

Born Sophie Barbé-Marbois connected April 2, 1785, successful Philadelphia, USA, she was the girl of Marquis François Barbé-Marbois—a salient statesman during the First French Empire and the Bourbon Restoration—and Elizabeth Moore, girl of the Governor of Pennsylvania, William Moore.

At property 19, Sophie joined General Anne-Charles Lebrun, an aide-de-camp to Napoleon I. In 1824, the twelvemonth her hubby inherited the rubric of Duke of Plaisance, the mates separated without ever officially divorcing. Now the Duchess of Plaisance, she departed for Italy with her lone daughter, Eliza, accompanied by the writer and Philhellene Casimir Delavigne.

Delavigne’s passionateness for the Greek origin profoundly influenced the Duchess. In 1830, she decided to question to Greece, a federation past taking its archetypal steps arsenic an autarkic state.

Contributions to Greece

The span of the Duchess astatine Vrilissia, Athens. Credit: Glinard, CC BY-SA 4.0/Wikipedia

The Duchess contributed importantly to the young nation’s development:

• Education: She founded a girls’ school, archetypal successful Aegina and aboriginal successful Nafplio.
• Media: She financed the 2nd variation of the Hellenic Chronicles of Missolonghi.
• Philanthropy: She donated immense sums to foundation and supported the villagers of Penteli, wherever she had acquired land.

Initially a protagonist of Ioannis Kapodistrias (the archetypal Governor of Greece), she aboriginal became a fierce critic. Upon proceeding of his assassination portion she was successful Florence, she adjacent published a pamphlet defending his killers. In 1834, she returned to Greece permanently, establishing herself arsenic a starring fig successful Athenian precocious society.

Tragedy and eccentricity

In 1836, her girl Eliza suffered a tense breakdown aft her fiancé, Elias Katsakos Mavromichalis, died of cholera successful Munich. Shortly after, Eliza contracted tuberculosis—then an incurable disease—and passed distant successful Beirut successful 1837.

The nonaccomplishment shattered the Duchess. Refusing to hide her daughter, she had the assemblage embalmed and kept it successful a country successful her impermanent residence adjacent Athens’ Koumoundourou Square. Following this, her behaviour grew progressively eccentric. She developed her ain spiritual creed—a blend of Judaism and Islam—and became progressively reclusive. Her grief turned to bitterness successful 1846 erstwhile her location caught fire, cremating her daughter’s remains. Her wellness besides declined owed to dropsy, which physically transformed her.

Architectural legacy

Villa Ilissia was built betwixt 1840 and 1848 connected the banks of the Ilissos River successful Athens. Credit:  Templar52, Attribution/Wikipedia

The Duchess utilized her immense wealthiness to physique respective landmark estates successful Athens and Penteli, designed by her adjacent friend, the designer Stamatis Kleanthis. Fearing a prophecy that claimed she would dice erstwhile her location was finished, she near galore of her projects intentionally incomplete:

• Villa Ilissia: Built betwixt 1840 and 1848 connected the banks of the Ilissos River, this was her wintertime residence. Today, it houses the Byzantine and Christian Museum.
• The Castello της Rododafnis: Located successful Penteli, this Gothic-style mansion remained unfinished for years.
• Maisonnette, Plaisance, and Tourelle: A bid of smaller houses and guesthouses successful the Penteli area.

Plaisance location successful Penteli. Credit: Dimorsitanos, CC BY-SA 4.0/Wikipedia

Sophie de Marbois died connected May 2, 1854, astatine the property of 69. She was buried successful a classical-style tomb designed by Kleanthis adjacent her “Maisonnette” successful Penteli, leaving down a bequest of mystery, philanthropy, and architectural beauty.