Marella Agnelli, Italian Style Icon and Art Patron, Dies at 91
Marella Agnelli, an Italian noble and art benefactor, passed away on February 23, 2019, at the age of 91. She was born Marella Caracciolo di Castagneto on May 4, 1927, in Florence, to diplomat Filippo Caracciolo di Castagneto and heiress Margaret Clarke. Educated in Switzerland and Paris, she began her career as a model and wed Fiat heir Gianni Agnelli on November 19, 1953. The couple had two children and several grandchildren. Following Gianni's death in 2003 and the tragic suicide of their son Edoardo in 2000, Marella remained active in philanthropy. A garden designer, she also held positions on the International Council of MoMA and Tate, with the Agnelli art collection located at the Pinacoteca Agnelli in Turin.
Key facts
- Marella Agnelli died on February 23, 2019, at age 91.
- She was born Marella Caracciolo di Castagneto on May 4, 1927, in Florence.
- She married Gianni Agnelli on November 19, 1953, at Château d'Osthoffen in Strasbourg.
- She worked as a model and assistant to photographer Erwin Blumenfeld in New York.
- She was a garden designer and published books on gardening.
- A rose variety 'Donna Marella Agnelli' was named after her.
- She served on the International Council of MoMA and the Tate International Council.
- The Agnelli collection is housed at the Pinacoteca Agnelli in Turin, designed by Renzo Piano.
- She was photographed by Richard Avedon, Erwin Blumenfeld, Henry Clarke, and Andy Warhol.
- Truman Capote called her 'the last swan.'
Entities
Artists
- Marella Agnelli
- Gianni Agnelli
- Filippo Caracciolo di Castagneto
- Margaret Clarke
- Erwin Blumenfeld
- Richard Avedon
- Henry Clarke
- Andy Warhol
- Arturo Ghergo
- Federico Forquet
- Truman Capote
- Stéphane Boudin
- Renzo Piano
- Giacomo Mattè Trucco
- Canaletto
- Canova
- Manet
- Renoir
- Matisse
- Picasso
- Modigliani
- Balla
- Severini
- Tiepolo
- Damien Hirst
- Gilbert & George
- Jean Prouvé
- Ron Arad
- Raffaello
- Gae Aulenti
- Rosemarie Trockel
- Frank Lloyd Wright
- Audrey Hepburn
- Boldini
- Leopoldina d'Austria
- Lady Walton
- Agata Giovanna Piccolo di Calanovella
- Lucio Piccolo
- Evelina van Millingen
- Vittorio Amedeo II di Savoia
- Marella Caracciolo Chia
Institutions
- Fiat
- Condé Nast
- Vogue
- Académie des Beaux-Arts
- Académie Julian
- Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
- Tate International Council
- Associazione Amici Torinesi Arte Contemporanea
- Giardini Botanici Hanbury
- Riserva Naturalistica Torrente Chisone
- Fondazione Giovanni e Marella Agnelli
- Pinacoteca Agnelli
- Lingotto
- Rizzoli US
- Adelphi
- Artribune
- Barni
- Gem Palace
- Balenciaga
- Givenchy
- Courrèges
- Dior
- Jean Patou
Locations
- Florence
- Italy
- Switzerland
- Paris
- France
- New York
- United States
- Turin
- Strasbourg
- Château d'Osthoffen
- Marrakech
- Morocco
- Villar Perosa
- Jaipur
- India
- Villefranche-sur-Mer
- Villa Leopolda
- Ischia
- Padua
- Pistoia