Coordinates	40°14′36″N77°53′36″N
name	Parma
official name	Comune di Parma
image shield	Parma-Stemma.png
coordinates display	title
region	Emilia-Romagna
province	Parma (PR)
frazioni	See list
mayor	Pietro Vignali
area total km2	260.77
population total	187214
population as of	28 February 2011
population demonym	Parmigiani (Pram'zan) (Parmensi (Arijoz) are called the province's inhabitants)
elevation m	55
saint	Sant'Ilario di Poitiers, Sant'Onorato, San Rocco
day	January 13
postal code	43100
area code	0521
website
footnotes	}}

Parma () is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world. Parma is divided into two parts by the little stream with the same name. Parma's Etruscan name was adapted by Romans to describe the round shield called ''Parma''.

The Italian poet Attilio Bertolucci (born in a hamlet in the countryside) wrote: "As a capital city it had to have a river. As a little capital it received a stream, which is often dry". The district on the far side of the river is ''Oltretorrente''.

History

Prehistory

Parma was already a built-up area in the Bronze Age. It has been verified by now that in the current position of the city rose a terramare. The "terramare" (marl earth) were ancient villages in structural wood on pile-dwelling built according to a defined scheme and squared form, built on the dry land, generally in proximity of the rivers. During this age (among the 1500 BC and the 800 BC) the first necropolises (placed where stand the present-day Piazza Duomo and Millstone Square) rose also.

Antiquity

The city was most probably founded and named by the Etruscans, for a ''parma'' (circular shield) was a Latin borrowing, as were many Roman terms for particular arms, and ''Parmeal'', ''Parmni'' and ''Parmnial'' are names that appear in Etruscan inscriptions. Diodorus Siculus (XXII, 2,2; XXVIII, 2,1) reported that the Romans had changed their rectangular shields for round ones, imitating the Etruscans. Whether the Etruscan encampment was so named because it was round, like a shield, or whether its situation was a shield against the Gauls to the north, is uncertain.

The Roman colony was founded in 183 BC, together with Mutina (Modena); 2,000 families were settled. Parma had a certain importance as a road hub over the Via Aemilia and the Via Claudia. It had a forum, in what is today the central Garibaldi Square. In 44 BC, the city was destroyed, and Augustus rebuilt it. During the Roman Empire, it gained the title of ''Julia'' for its loyalty to the imperial house.

The city was subsequently sacked by Attila, and later given by the barbarian king Odoacer to his fellows. During the Gothic War, however, Totila destroyed it. It was then part of the Byzantine Exarchate of Ravenna (changing name to ''Chrysopolis'', "Golden City", probably due to the presence of the imperial treasury) and, from 569, of the Lombard Kingdom of Italy. During the Middle Ages, Parma became an important stage of the Via Francigena, the main road connecting Rome to Northern Europe; several castles, hospitals and inns were built in the following centuries to host the increasing number of pilgrims who passed by Parma and Fidenza, following the Apennines via Collecchio, Berceto and the Corchia ranges before descending the Passo della Cisa into Tuscany, heading finally south toward Rome.

Middle Ages

Under the Frankish rule, Parma became the capital of a county (774). Like most northern Italian cities, it was nominally a part of the Holy Roman Empire created by Charlemagne, but locally ruled by its bishops, the first being Guidobus. In the subsequent struggles between the Papacy and the Empire, Parma was usually a member of the Imperial party. Two of its bishops became antipopes: Càdalo, founder of the cathedral, as Honorius II); and Guibert, as Clement III). An almost independent commune was created around 1140; a treaty between Parma and Piacenza of 1149 is the earliest document of a ''comune'' headed by consuls. After the Peace of Constance (1183) confirmed the Italian communes' rights of self-governance, long-standing quarrels with the neighbouring communes of Reggio Emilia, Piacenza and Cremona became harsher, with the aim of controlling the vital trading line over the Po River.

The struggle between Guelphs and Ghibellines was a feature of Parma too. In 1213, her ''podestà'' was the Guelph Rambertino Buvalelli. Then, after a long stance alongside the emperors, the Papist families of the city gained control in 1248. The city was besieged in 1247–48 by Emperor Frederick II, who was however crushed in the battle that ensued.

Modern era

Parma fell under the control of Milan in 1341. After a short-lived period of independence under the Terzi family (1404–1409), Sforza imposed their rule (1440–1449) through their associated families of Pallavicino, Rossi, Sanvitale and Da Correggio. These created a kind of new feudalism, building towers and castles throughout the city and the land. These fiefs evolved into truly independent states: the Landi governed the higher Taro's valley from 1257 to 1682. The Pallavicino seignory extended over the eastern part of today's province, with the capital in Busseto. Parma's territories were an exception for Northern Italy, as its feudal subdivision frequently continued until more recent years. For example, Solignano was a Pallavicino family possession until 1805, and San Secondo belonged to the Rossi well into the 19th century.

Between the 14th and the 15th centuries, Parma was at the centre of the Italian Wars. The Battle of Fornovo was fought in its territory. The French held the city in 1500–1521, with a short Papal parenthesis in 1512–1515. After the foreigners were expelled, Parma belonged to the Papal States until 1545.

In that year the Farnese pope, Paul III, detached Parma and Piacenza from the Papal States and gave them as a duchy for his illegitimate son, Pier Luigi Farnese, whose descendants ruled in Parma until 1731, when Antonio Farnese (1679–1731), last male of the Farnese line, died. In the Treaty of London (1718) it was promulgated that the heir to the duchy would be Elisabeth Farnese's elder son with Philip V of Spain, Don Carlos. In 1731, the fifteen-year-old Don Carlos became Charles I Duke of Parma and Piacenza, at the death of his childless great uncle Antonio Farnese. In 1734, Charles I conquered the kingdoms of Naples and Sicily, and was crowned as the King of Naples and Sicily on 3 July 1735, leaving the Duchy of Parma to his brother Philip (Filippo I di Borbone-Parma).

In 1594 a constitution was promulgated, the University enhanced and the Nobles' College founded. The war to reduce the barons' power continued for several years: in 1612 Barbara Sanseverino was executed in the central square of Parma, together with six other nobles charged of plotting against the duke. At the end of the 17th century, after the defeat of Pallavicini (1588) and Landi (1682) the Farnese duke could finally hold with firm hand all Parmense territories. The castle of the Sanseverino in Colorno was turned into a luxurious summer palace by Ferdinando Bibiena.

In 1731 the combined Duchy of Parma and Piacenza was given to the House of Bourbon in a diplomatic shuffle of the European dynastic politics that were played out in Italy. Under the new rulers, however, it faced a certain decadence. In 1734 all the outstanding art collections of the duke's palaces of Parma, Colorno and Sala Baganza were moved to Naples.

Parma was under French influence after the Peace of Aachen (1748). Parma became a modern state with the energetic action of prime minister Guillaume du Tillot. He created the bases for a modern industry and fought strenuously against the church's privileges. The city lived a period of particular splendour: the Biblioteca Palatina (Palatine Library), the Archaeological Museum, the Picture Gallery and the Botanical Garden were founded, together with the Royal Printing Works directed by Giambattista Bodoni.

Contemporary age

During the Napoleonic Wars (1802–1814), Parma was part of the Taro ''Département''. Under its French name Parme, it was also created a ''duché grand-fief de l'Empire'' for Charles-François Lebrun, duc de Plaisance, the Emperor's Arch-Treasurer, on 24 April 1808 (extinguished 1926).

After its restoration by the 1814–15 Vienna Congress, the Risorgimento's upheavals had no fertile ground in the tranquil duchy. In 1847, after Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma's death, it passed again to the Bourbons, the last of whom was stabbed in the city and left it to his Widow, Luisa Maria of Berry. On September 15, 1859 the dynasty was declared deposed, and Parma entered in the newly formed provinces of Emilia under Carlo Farini. With the plebiscite of 1860 the former duchy became part of the unified Kingdom of Italy.

The loss of the capital role provoked an economical and social crisis in Parma. It started to recover its role of industrial prominence after the connection with Piacenza and Bologna of 1859, and with Fornovo and Suzzara in 1883. Trade unions were strong in the city, in which a famous General Strike was declared from May 1 to June 6, 1908. The struggle with Fascism lived its most dramatic moment in the August 1922, when the regime officer Italo Balbo attempted to enter in the popular quarter of Oltretorrente. The citizens organized into the ''Arditi del Popolo'' ("People's assaulters") and pushed back the squadristi. This episode is considered the first example of Resistance in Italy.

During World War II, Parma was a strong centre of partisan resistance. The train station and marshalling yards were targets for high altitude bombing by the Allies in the spring of 1944. Much of the Palazzo della Pilotta — situated not far (half a mile) from the train station — was destroyed. Along with it also Teatro Farnese and part of Biblioteca Palatina were destroyed by Allied bombs. Several other monuments were also damaged: Palazzo del Giardino, Steccata church, San Giovanni church, Palazzo Ducale, Paganini theater and the monument to Verdi. However Parma did not see widespread destruction during the war. Parma was liberated of the German occupation (1943–1945) on April 26, 1945 by the partisan resistance and troops of Brazilian Expeditionary Force. Recently Parma was chosen for the setting of John Grisham's American football comedy ''Playing for Pizza''.

Main sights

Churches

The Romanesque Cathedral houses both 12th century sculpture by Benedetto Antelami and a 16th century fresco masterpiece by Antonio da Correggio.

The Baptistery, adjacent to the cathedral was begun in 1196 by Antelami.

The abbey church of Saint John the Evangelist (''San Giovanni Evangelista''), was originally constructed in the 10th century behind the Cathedral's apse, but had to be rebuilt in 1498 and 1510 after a fire. It has a late Mannerist facade and a belltower designed by Simone Moschino), and retains its Latin cross plan, a nave and two aisles. In 1520–1522, Correggio frescoed the dome with the ''Vision of St. John the Evangelist'', a highly influential fresco which heralded illustionistic perspective in the decoration of church ceilings. Bernardo Falconi designed a putto in the high altar. Also the cloisters and the ancient Benedictine grocery are noteworthy. The library has books from the 15th and 16th centuries.

Sanctuary of Santa Maria della Steccata.

The Benedictine Monastery of ''San Paolo'', founded in the 11th century. It houses precious frescoes by Correggio, in the so-called ''Camera di San Paolo'' (1519–1520), and Alessandro Araldi.

The Gothic church of ''San Francesco del Prato'' (13th century). From Napoleonic era to 1990s it was the city's jail, for which the 16 windows in the facade were opened. The original rose windows (1461) has 16 rays, which, in the medieval tradition, represented the house of God. The Oratory of the Concezione houses frescoes by Michelangelo Anselmi and Francesco Rondani. The altarpiece by Girolamo Mazzola Bedoli is now in the National Gallery of Parma.

Church of ''Santa Croce'', dating to the early 12th century. The original edifice, in Romanesque style, had a nave and two aisles with a semicircular apse. This was renovated first in 1415 and again in 1635–1666, with the heightening of the aisles and nave, the addition of a bresbytery, a dome and of the chapel of St. Joseph. The frescoes in the nave (by Giovanni Maria Conti della Camera, Francesco Reti and Antonio Lombardi) date to this period.

Church of ''San Sepolcro'', built in 1275 over a pre-existing religious edifice. The church was largely renovated in 1506, 1603 and 1701, when the side on the Via Emilia was remade in Neoclassicist style. The church has a nave with side chapels. The Baroque bell tower was built in 1616, the cups being finished in 1753. Annexed is the former monastery of the Rrgular Canons of the Lateran, dating to 1493–1495.

Church of ''Santa Maria del Quartiere'' (1604–1619), characterized by a usual hexagonal plan. The cupola is decorated with frescoes by Pier Antonio Bernabei and his pupils.

Palaces

The ''Palazzo della Pilotta'' (1583). It houses the Academy of Fine Arts with artists of the School of Parma, the Palatine Library, the National Gallery, the Archaeological Museum, the Bodoni Museum and the Farnese Theatre.

The Ducal Palace, built from 1561 for Duke Ottavio Farnese on a design by Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola. Built on the former Sforza castle area, it was enlarged in the 17th–18th centuries. It includes the ''Palazzo Eucherio Sanvitale'', with interesting decorations dating from the 16th centuries and attributed to Gianfrancesco d'Agrate, and a fresco by Parmigianino. Annexed is the Ducal Park also by Vignola. It was turned into a French-style garden in 1749.

The ''Palazzo del Comune'', built in 1627.

The ''Palazzo del Governatore'' ("Governor's Palace"), dating from the 13th century.

The Bishop's Palace (1055).

''Ospedale Vecchio'' ("Old Hospital"), created in 1250 and later renovated in Renaissance times. It is now home to the State Archives and to the Communal Library.

Other

The ''Teatro Farnese'' was constructed in 1618–1619 by Giovan Battista Aleotti, totally in wood. It was commissioned by Duke Ranuccio I for the visit of Cosimo I de' Medici.

The ''Cittadella'', a large fortress erected in the 16th century by order of Duke Alessandro Farnese, close to the old walls.

The ''Pons Lapidis'' (also known as Roman Bridge or Theoderic's Bridge), a Roman structure in stone dating from Augustus reign.

The ''Orto Botanico di Parma'' is a botanical garden maintained by the University of Parma.

The ''Teatro Regio'' ("Royal Theatre"), built in 1821–1829 by Nicola Bettoli. It has a Neo-Classical facade and a porch with double window order. It is the city's opera house.

The ''Auditorium Niccolò Paganini'', designed by Renzo Piano.

The Museum House of Arturo Toscanini, where the famous musician was born.

Museo Lombardi. It exhibits a prestigious collection of art and historical items regarding Maria Luigia of Habsburg and her first husband Napoleon Bonaparte; important works and documents concerning the Duchy of Parma in the 18th and 19th centuries are also kept by the Museum.

''Frazioni''

Alberi, Baganzola, Beneceto, Botteghino, Ca'Terzi, Calestani, Carignano, Carpaneto, Cartiera, Casalbaroncolo, Casalora di Ravadese, Casaltone, Case Capelli, Case Cocconi, Case Crostolo, Case Nuove, Case Rosse, Case Vecchie, Casino dalla Rosa, Casagnola, Castelletto, Castelnovo, Cervara, Chiozzola, Coloreto, Corcagnano, Eia, Fontanini, Fontanellato, Gaione, Ghiaiata Nuova, Il Moro, La Catena, La Palazzina, Malandriano, Marano, Marore, Martorano, Molino di Malandriano, Osteria San Martino, Panocchia, Paradigna, Pedrignano, Pilastrello, Pizzolese, Ponte, Porporano, Pozzetto Piccolo, Quercioli, Ravadese, Ronco Pascolo, Rosa, San Prospero, San Ruffino, San Secondo, Sissa, Soragna, Sorbolo, Valera, Viarolo, Viazza, Vicofertile, Vicomero, Vigatto, Vigheffio, Vigolante.

Demographics

{| cellpadding="1" border="0" style="float:left; margin:0 1em 1em 0; border:1px #bbb solid; border-collapse:collapse; font-size:90%;" |- style="text-align:center; background:#edd5a3;" | colspan="3" | ISTAT 2007 |- align="center" | ||Parma, Emilia-Romagna||Italy |- style="text-align:center;" |Median age||46 years||42 years |- style="text-align:center;" |Under 18 years old||14.9%||18.1% |- style="text-align:center;" |Over 65 years old||22.9%||20.0% |- style="text-align:center;" |Foreign Population||9.1%||5.8% |- style="text-align:center;" |Births/1,000 people||8.53 b||9.45 b |} In 2007, there were 177,069 people residing in Parma located in the province of Parma, Emilia-Romagna, of whom 47.4% were male and 52.6% were female. Minors (children ages 18 and younger) totalled 14.87% of the population compared to pensioners who numbered 22.90%. This compares with the Italian average of 18.06% (minors) and 19.94% (pensioners). The average age of a Parma resident is 46 compared to the Italian average of 42. In the five years between 2002 and 2007, the population of Parma experienced 6.97% growth, while Italy as a whole grew by 3.56%. The current birth rate of Parma is 8.53 births per 1,000 inhabitants compared to the Italian average of 9.45 births.

As of 2006, 90.91% of the population was Italian. The largest foreign group came from other parts of Europe (namely Albania, Romania, and Ukraine): 3.61%, followed by Sub-Saharan Africa (namely Ghana): 1.86%, and North Africa: 1.44%. Approximately 17.9% of newborns has at least one parent of foreign origins, compared to the Italian average of 10.3%.

Food and cuisine

Parma is famous for its food and rich gastronomical tradition: Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (also produced in Reggio Emilia), Prosciutto di Parma (Parma ham). Parma claims several stuffed pasta dishes like "tortelli d'erbetta" and "anolini in broth".

In 2004 Parma was appointed the seat of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Parma also has two food multinationals, Barilla and Parmalat and a food tourism sector represented by Parma Golosa and Food Valley.

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Parma is twinned with: Shijiazhuang, China Milwaukee, United States Guadalajara, Mexico Bourg-en-Bresse, France Tours, France Guadalajara, Spain Ljubljana, Slovenia Worms, Germany Szeged, Hungary Moncton, Canada Stockton, United States

Sport

Parma F.C. was founded in 1913. It is a Serie A football club renowned in Italy and Europe for its successes including three national cups, a European Cup Winner's Cup, two UEFA Cups, a European Supercup and an Italian Supercup. It plays in the city's stade Ennio Tardini which used to host up to 29,000 spectators but is being renovated in 2008 after the club was demoted to Serie B. In spring 2009 the team was promoted again in the top league (Serie A).

Parma is also home to two rugby union teams in the top national division, Overmach Rugby Parma and SKG Gran Rugby.

Parma Panthers is the Parma American football team for which John Grisham's book Playing for Pizza was based.

Also volleyball, women basketball and baseball have large popularity in the city and have scored relevant successes.

Transport

Parma railway station is on the Milan–Bologna railway.

The Parma trolleybus system has been in operation since 1953. It replaced an earlier tramway network, and presently comprises four trolleybus routes.

Famous people

Painters and sculptors

Francesco Mazzola, best known as Il Parmigianino, painter

Sisto Badalocchio, painter

Alessandro Araldi, painter

Michelangelo Anselmi, painter born in Tuscany

Giovanni Maria Francesco Rondani, painter

Girolamo Mazzola Bedoli, painter

Filippo Mazzola, painter

Antonio da Correggio (Antonio Allegri), painter born in Correggio (Reggio Emilia)

Benedetto Antelami

Giacomo (or Jacopo) Zanguidi ( Bertoia)

Giovan Federico Bonzagni

Amedeo Bocchi

Bartolomeo Schedoni

Oreste Carpi

Others

Giambattista Bodoni, typographer

Ferdinando Paer, composer

Giuseppe Verdi, opera composer

Arturo Toscanini, conductor

Bernardo Bertolucci, director

Giovannino Guareschi, writer

Vittorio Bottego, explorer

Attilio Bertolucci, poet

Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma, military commander

Cleofonte Campanini, conductor

Vittorio Adorni, cyclist

Adriano Malori, cyclist

See also

European College of Parma

University_of_Parma

References

External links

Parma's view from satellite (Google Earth)

360° photos of City of Parma

Video Introduction to Parma and the Parmigiano Reggiano

Video Brief History of Parma

The European Food Safety Authority Website

Category:Cities and towns in Emilia-Romagna

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Coordinates	40°14′36″N77°53′36″N
name	Juliette Gréco
birth date	February 07, 1927
birth place	Montpellier, Hérault, Languedoc-Roussillon, France
spouse	Philippe Lemaire (1953–1956)Michel Piccoli (1966–1977)Gérard Jouannest (1988–present)
yearsactive	1948–2002 }}

Juliette Gréco, — also Michelle – (born 7 February 1927) is a French actress and popular chanson singer.

Early life and family

Juliette Gréco was born in Montpellier to a Corsican father and a mother who became active in the ''Résistance'', in the Hérault ''département'' of southern France. She was raised by her maternal grandparents. Gréco also became involved in the Résistance, and was caught but not deported because of her young age. She moved to Saint-Germain-des-Prés in 1946 after her mother left the country for Indochina.

Bohemian lifestyle

Gréco became a devotee of the bohemian fashion of some intellectuals of post-war France. A famous description of Gréco is that her voice "encompasses millions of poems". She was known to many of the writers and artists working in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, such as Jean-Paul Sartre and Boris Vian.

Gréco spent the post liberation years frequenting the Saint Germain cafes, immersing herself in political and philosophical Bohemian culture. As a regular figure at music and poetry venues like Le Tabou on Rue Dauphine, Greco became acquainted with Miles Davis and Jean Cocteau, even being given a role in Cocteau’s film ''Orphee'' in 1949. That same year, she began a new singing career with a number of well-known French writers writing lyrics; Raymond Queneau's "Si Tu T’Imagines" was one of her earliest songs to become popular.

''Je Me Souviens De Tout''

In 2009 her newest album, ''Je Me Souviens De Tout'', was released. To mark the occasion, Gréco, accompanied by her husband Gérard Jouannest on the piano, and Jean-Louis Matinier on the accordion gave four concerts at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in early June.

''Fiction TV''

In the late '60s she featured in the well-known TV serial ''Belphegor, Phantom of the Louvre''. This gloomy character was so strongly connected with Juliette Greco, that she brought it with herself for the rest of her life and in 2001 she was included in the cast of the famous movie remake with the same title ''Belphegor, Phantom of the Louvre''.

Personal life

She has been married three times: to actor Philippe Lemaire (1953–1956; one daughter, Laurence-Marie Lemaire, b. 1954), actor Michel Piccoli (1966–1977), and pianist Gérard Jouannest (since 1988).

In popular culture

Gréco was portrayed by actress Anna Mouglalis in the film ''Gainsbourg (Vie héroïque)''.

Gréco is featured in "Lovers of Saint-Germain-des-Prés", a chapter written in screenplay format in "PARISIANS, An Adventure History of Paris", by Graham Robb, W.W. Norton & Company 2010

Autobiography

1982: ''Jujube'' (published in French), Stock.

Albums

1950: ''Si tu t'imagines'', poème de Raymond Queneau mis en musique de Joseph Kosma.

1950: ''La Fourmi'', poème de Robert Desnos mis en musique par Joseph Kosma.

1951: ''Je suis comme je suis'', paroles de Jacques Prévert et musique de Joseph Kosma.

1951: ''Les Feuilles mortes'', paroles de Jacques Prévert et musique de Joseph Kosma du film Les Portes de la nuit de Marcel Carné.

1951: ''Sous le ciel de Paris'', paroles de Jean Dréjac et musique d’Hubert Giraud du film Sous le ciel de Paris de Julien Duvivier.

1951: ''Je hais les dimanches'', paroles de Charles Aznavour et musique de Florence Véran.

1953: ''La Fiancée du pirate'', extraite de L'Opéra de quat'sous, adaptation française d’André De Mauprey d’après des paroles de Bertolt Brecht, musique de Kurt Weill.

1954: ''Coin de rue'', paroles et musique de Charles Trenet

1955: ''Chanson pour l'Auvergnat'', paroles et musique de Georges Brassens

1960: ''Il n'y a plus d'après'', paroles et musique de Guy Béart

1961: ''Jolie Môme'', paroles et musique de Léo Ferré

1961: ''C'était bien'' (Le P’tit bal perdu), paroles de Robert Nyel et musique de Gaby Verlor

1962: ''Accordéon'', paroles et musique de Serge Gainsbourg

1962: ''Paris canaille'', paroles et musique de Léo Ferré

1963: ''La Javanaise'', paroles et musique de Serge Gainsbourg

1966: ''Un petit poisson'', un petit oiseau, paroles de Jean-Max Rivière et musique de Gérard Bourgeois

1967: ''Déshabillez-moi'', paroles de Robert Nyel et musique de Gaby Verlor

1970: ''Les Pingouins'', paroles et musique de Frédéric Botton

1971: ''La Chanson des vieux amants'', paroles de Jacques Brel et musique de Gérard Jouannest

1971: ''J'arrive'', paroles de Jacques Brel et musique de Gérard Jouannest

1972: ''Mon fils chante'', paroles de Maurice Fanon et musique de Gérard Jouannest

1977: ''Non monsieur je n'ai pas vingt ans'', paroles d’Henri Gougaud et musique de Gérard Jouannest

1983: ''Le Temps des cerises'', poème de Jean-Baptiste Clément et musique d’Antoine Renard

1988: ''Ne me quitte pas'', paroles et musique de Jacques Brel

2003: ''L'Éternel féminin'' – Intégrale en 21 CD Mercury

2009: ''Je Me Souviens De Tout''

Notable songs

1950: "Si tu t'imagines"

1951: "Je suis comme je suis"

1952: "Les Dames de la poste"

1952: "Je hais les dimanches"

1952: "Les feuilles mortes"

1958: "Bonjour tristesse"

1961: "On n'oublie rien"

1962: "Paris canaille"

1963: "La javanaise"

1965: "Marions-les"

1966: "Un petit poisson, un petit oiseau"

1967: "Déshabillez-moi"

1970: "J'arrive"

1970: "Les pingouins"

1972: "Mon fils chante"

1972: "L'embellie"

1972: "La lelluia"

1972: "Mes theatres"

Partial filmography

1951: ''...Sans laisser d'adresse''

1957: ''The Sun Also Rises''

1958: ''The Roots of Heaven''

1958: ''Bonjour Tristesse''

1960: ''Crack in the Mirror''

1961: ''The Big Gamble''

1975: ''Lily, aime-moi''

2001: ''Belphegor, Phantom of the Louvre''

2002: ''Everyman's Feast''

2009: ''An Education''

References

Sources

Boggio, Philippe. ''Boris Vian'' (pp. 152–154)

Davis, Miles, ''Miles'' (pp. 126–127)

External links

Juliette Gréco on Europopmusic.eu (English)

Biography of Juliette Gréco

Singing the Praises of Juliette Greco (TCM Movie Morlocks)

Category:1927 births Category:Living people Category:People from Montpellier Category:French film actors Category:French female singers Category:French people of Corsican descent

ca:Juliette Gréco da:Juliette Gréco de:Juliette Gréco et:Juliette Gréco es:Juliette Gréco eo:Juliette Gréco fr:Juliette Gréco hr:Juliette Gréco io:Juliette Gréco id:Juliette Gréco it:Juliette Gréco he:ז'ולייט גרקו la:Iuliola Gréco hu:Juliette Gréco nl:Juliette Gréco ja:ジュリエット・グレコ pl:Juliette Gréco pt:Juliette Gréco ru:Греко, Жюльетт fi:Juliette Gréco sv:Juliette Gréco

Coordinates	40°14′36″N77°53′36″N
Consort	yes
Succession	Empress consort of Austria;Queen consort of Hungary and Bohemia
Reign	21 November 1916 – 11 November 1918
Coronation	30 December 1916 (''Hungary'')
Spouse	Charles I of Austria
House	House of HabsburgHouse of Bourbon-Parma
Father	Robert I, Duke of Parma
Mother	Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal
Issue	Otto, Crown Prince of AustriaArchduchess AdelheidRobert, Archduke of Austria-EsteArchduke FelixArchduke Carl LudwigArchduke RudolfCharlotte, Duchess of MecklenburgElisabeth, Princess Heinrich of Liechtenstein
Birth place	Villa Pianore, Tuscany
Death date	March 14, 1989
Death place	Zizers, Switzerland

Her imperial majesty Empress Zita of Austria (''Zita Maria delle Grazie Adelgonda Micaela Raffaela Gabriella Giuseppina Antonia Luisa Agnese, princess of Bourbon-Parma''; 9 May 1892 – 14 March 1989) was the wife of Emperor Charles of Austria. As such, she was the last Empress of Austria, Queen of Hungary, and Queen of Bohemia.

Born as the seventeenth child of the dispossessed Robert I, Duke of Parma and his second wife Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal, Zita married the then Archduke Charles of Austria in 1911. Charles became heir presumptive to the Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria in 1914 after the assassination of his uncle Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, and acceded to the throne in 1916 after the old emperor's death.

After the end of World War I in 1918, the Habsburgs were deposed when the new countries of Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs were formed. Charles and Zita left for exile in Switzerland, and later Madeira where Charles died in 1922. After her husband's death, Zita and her son Otto served as the symbols of unity for the exiled dynasty. A devout Catholic, she raised a large family after being widowed at the age of 29, and never remarried.

Asteroid 689 Zita is named in her honour.

Early life

Princess Zita of Bourbon-Parma was born at the Villa Pianore in the Italian Province of Lucca, 9 May 1892. The unusual name ''Zita'' was given her after a popular Italian Saint who had lived in Tuscany in the 13th century. She was the third daughter and fifth child of the deposed Robert I, Duke of Parma and his second wife, Maria Antonia of Portugal, a daughter of king Miguel of Portugal and Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg. Zita's father had lost his throne as a result of the movement for Italian unification in 1859 when he was still a child. He fathered twelve children during his first marriage to Maria Pia of the Two Sicilies (six of whom were mentally retarded, and three of whom died young). Duke Robert became a widower in 1882, and two years later he married Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal, Zita's mother. The second marriage produced a further twelve children. Zita was the 17th child among Duke Robert's 24 children. Robert moved his large family between Villa Pianore (a large property located between Pietrasanta and Viareggio) and his castle in Schwarzau in lower Austria. It was mainly in these two residences that Zita spent her formative years. The family spent most of the year in Austria moving to Pianore in the Winter and returning in the Summer. To move between them, they took a special train with sixteen coaches to accommodate the family and their belongings. Zita and her siblings were raised to speak Italian, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese and English She recalled, "We grew up internationally. My father thought of himself first and foremost as a Frenchman, and spent a few weeks every year with the elder children at Chambord, his main property on the Loire. I once asked him how we should describe ourselves. He replied, 'We are French princes who reigned in Italy.' In fact, of the twenty-four children only three including me, were actually born in Italy.

At the age of ten, Zita was sent to a boarding school at Zanberg in Upper Bavaria, where there was a strict regime of study and religious instruction. She was summoned home in the autumn of 1907 at the death of her father. Her maternal grandmother sent Zita and her sister Franziska to a convent on the Isle of Wight to complete her education. Brought up as devout Catholics, the Parma children regularly undertook good works for the poor. In Schwarzau the family turned surplus cloth into clothes. Zita and Franziska personally distributed food, clothing, and medicines to the needy in Pianore. Three of Zita's sisters became nuns and, for a time, she considered following the same path. Zita went through a patch of poor health and was sent for the traditional cure at a European spa for two years.

Marriage

In the close vicinity of Schwarzau castle was the Villa Wartholz, residence of Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria, Zita’s maternal aunt. She was the stepmother of Archduke Otto, who died in 1906, and the step-grandmother of Archduke Charles of Austria-Este, at that time second-in-line to the Austrian throne. The two daughters of Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria were Zita’s first cousins and Charles’ half-aunts. They had met as children but did not see one another for almost ten years, as each pursued their education. In 1909, his Dragoon regiment was stationed at Brandeis on the Elbe, from where he visited his aunt at Franzensbad. It was during one of these visits that Charles and Zita became reacquainted. Charles was under pressure to marry (Franz Ferdinand, his uncle and first-in-line, had married morganatically, and his children were excluded from the throne) and Zita had a suitably royal genealogy. Zita later recalled, "We were of course glad to meet again and became close friends. On my side feelings developed gradually over the next two years. He seemed to have made his mind up much more quickly, however, and became even more keen when, in the autumn of 1910, rumours spread about that I had got engaged to a distant Spanish relative, Don Jaime, the Duke of Madrid. On hearing this, the Archduke came down post haste from his regiment at Brandeis and sought out his grandmother, Archduchess Maria Theresa, who was also my aunt and the natural confidante in such matters. He asked if the rumor was true and when told it was not, he replied, 'Well, I had better hurry in any case or she will get engaged to someone else.'"

Archduke Charles traveled to Villa Pianore and asked for Zita’s hand and, on 13 June 1911, their engagement was announced at the Austrian court. Zita in later years recalled that after her engagement she had expressed to Charles her worries about the fate of the Austrian Empire and the challenges of the monarchy. Charles and Zita were married at the Schwarzau castle on 21 October 1911. Charles's great-uncle, the 81-year-old Emperor Franz Joseph attended and, relieved to see an heir make a suitable marriage, was in good spirits, even leading the toast at the wedding breakfast. Archduchess Zita soon conceived a son, and Otto was born 20 November 1912. Seven more children would follow in the next decade.

Wife of the heir to Austrian throne

At this time, Archduke Charles was in his twenties and did not expect to become emperor for some time, especially while Franz Ferdinand remained in good health. This changed on 28 June 1914 when the heir and his wife Sophie were assassinated in Sarajevo by Bosnian Serb nationalists. Charles and Zita received the news by telegram that day. She said of her husband, "Though it was a beautiful day, I saw his face go white in the sun.

In the war that followed, Charles was promoted to General in the Austrian army, taking command of the 20th Corps for an offensive in Tyrol. The war was personally difficult for Zita, as several of her brothers fought on opposing sides in the conflict (Prince Felix and Prince René had joined the Austrian army, while Prince Sixtus and Prince Xavier lived in France before the war and enlisted in the Belgian army. Also her country of birth, Italy, joined the war against Austria in 1915, and so rumours of the 'Italian' Zita began to be muttered. Even as late as 1917, The German ambassador in Vienna, Count Otto Wedel would write to Berlin saying "The Empress is descended from an Italian princely house... People do not entirely trust the Italian and her brood of relatives." At Franz Joseph's request, Zita and her children left their residence at Hetzendorf and moved into a suite of rooms at Schönbrunn Palace. Here, Zita spent many hours with the old Emperor on both formal and informal occasions, where Franz Joseph confided in her his fears for the future. Emperor Franz Joseph died of bronchitis and pneumonia at the age of 86 on 21 November 1916. "I remember the dear plump figure of Prince Lobkowitz going up to my husband," Zita later recounted, "and, with tears in his eyes, making the sign of the cross on Charles's forehead. As he did so he said, 'May God bless Your Majesty.' It was the first time we had heard the Imperial title used to us."

Empress and Queen

Charles and Zita were crowned in Budapest on 30 December 1916. Following the coronation there was a banquet, but after that the festivities ended, as the emperor and empress thought it wrong to have prolonged celebrations during a time of war. At the beginning of the reign, Charles was more often than not away from Vienna, so he had a telephone line installed from Baden (where Charles's military headquarters were located) to the Hofburg. He called Zita several times a day whenever they were separated. Zita had some influence on her husband and would discreetly attend audiences with the Prime Minister or military briefings, and she had a special interest in social policy. However, military matters were the sole domain of Charles. Energetic and strong-willed, Zita accompanied her husband to the provinces and to the front, as well as occupying herself with charitable works and hospital visits to the war-wounded.

The Sixtus Affair

By now, the War was dragging on towards its fourth year, and Zita's brother Sixtus, who served in the Belgian Army, was a main mover behind a plan for Austria-Hungary to make a separate peace with France. Charles initiated contact with the Prince via contacts in neutral Switzerland, and Zita wrote a letter inviting him to Vienna. Zita's mother Maria Antonia delivered the letter personally.

Sixtus arrived with French-agreed conditions for talks — the restoration to France of Alsace-Lorraine (annexed by Germany after the Franco-Prussian War in 1870); restoration of the independence of Belgium; independence for the kingdom of Serbia; and the handover of Constantinople to Russia. Charles agreed, in principle, to the first three points and wrote a letter dated 25 March 1917, to Sixtus giving "the secret and unofficial message that I will use all means and all my personal influence" to the President of France. This attempt at dynastic diplomacy eventually foundered. Germany refused to negotiate over Alsace-Lorraine, and, seeing a Russian collapse on the horizon, was loath to give up the war. Sixtus continued his efforts, even meeting with Lloyd George in London about Italy's territorial demands on Austria in the Treaty of London, but the Prime Minister could not persuade his generals to make peace with Austria. Zita managed a personal achievement during this time by stopping the German plans to send airplanes to bomb the home of the King and Queen of Belgium on their name days.

In April 1918, after the German-Russian Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, Austrian Foreign Minister Count Ottokar Czernin made a speech attacking incoming French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau as being the main obstacle to a peace favouring the Central Powers. Clemenceau was incensed and, on finding Emperor Charles's 24 March 1917 letter, had it published. For a while, the life of Sixtus appeared to be in danger and there were fears that Germany might occupy Austria. Czernin persuaded Charles to send a 'Word of Honour' to Austria's allies saying that Sixtus had not been authorised to show the letter to the French Government, that Belgium had not been mentioned, and Clemenceau had lied about the mentioning of the Alsace. Czernin had actually been in contact with the German Embassy throughout the whole crisis, and was attempting to persuade the Emperor to step down because of the Affair. After this failed, Czernin resigned..

End of Empire

By this time, the war was closing in on the embattled Emperor. A Union of Czech Deputies had already sworn an oath to a new Czechoslovak state independent of the Habsburg Empire on 13 April 1918, the prestige of the German Army had taken a severe blow at the Battle of Amiens, and, on 25 September 1918, King Ferdinand of Bulgaria broke away from his allies in the Central Powers and sued for peace independently. Zita was with Charles when he received the telegram of Bulgaria's collapse. She remembered it "made it even more urgent to start peace talks with the Western Powers while there was still something to talk about. On 16 October, the emperor issued a "People's Manifesto" proposing the empire be restructured on federal lines with each nationality gaining its own state. Instead, each nation broke away and the empire effectively dissolved.

Leaving behind their children at Gödöllő, Charles and Zita travelled to the Schönbrunn Palace. By this time ministers had been appointed by the new state of "German-Austria", and by 11 November, together with the emperor's spokesmen, they prepared a manifesto for Charles to sign. Zita, at first glance, mistook it for an abdication and made her famous statement "A sovereign can never abdicate. He can be deposed... All right. That is force. But abdicate — never, never, never! I would rather fall here at your side. Then there would be Otto. And even if all of us here were killed, there would still be other Habsburgs!" Charles gave his permission for the document to be published, and he, his family and the remnants of his Court departed for the Royal shooting lodge at Eckartsau, close to the borders with Hungary and Slovakia. The Republic of German-Austria was pronounced the next day.

Exile

After a difficult few months at Eckartsau, the Imperial Family received aid from an unexpected source. Prince Sixtus had met with King George V of the United Kingdom and appealed to him to help the Habsburgs. George was reportedly moved by the request (it being mere months since his cousin Nicholas II of Russia had been executed by revolutionaries) and promised "We will immediately do what is necessary."

Several British Army officers were sent to help Charles, most notably Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Lisle Strutt (a grandson of Lord Belper). On 19 March 1919, orders were received from the War Office to "get the Emperor out of Austria without delay". With some difficulty, Strutt managed to arrange a train to Switzerland, and enabling the Emperor to leave the country with dignity and without him having to abdicate. Charles, Zita, their children and their household departed on 24 March.

Hungary and exile in Madeira

The family's first home in exile was Wartegg Castle in Rorschach, Switzerland, a property owned by the Bourbon-Parmas. However, the Swiss authorities, worried about the implication of the Habsburgs living near the Austrian border, compelled them to move to the western part of the country. The next month, therefore, found them moving to Villa Prangins, near Lake Geneva, where they resumed a quiet family life. This abruptly ended in March 1920 when, after a period of instability in Hungary, Miklós Horthy was elected regent. Charles was still technically King (as Charles IV) but Horthy sent an emissary to Prangins advising him not to go to Hungary until the situation had calmed. After the Trianon Treaty Horthy's ambition soon grew. Charles became concerned and requested the help of Colonel Strutt to get him into Hungary. Charles twice attempted to regain control, once in March 1921 and again in October 1921. Both attempts failed, despite Zita's staunch support (she insisted on travelling with him on the final dramatic train journey to Budapest).

Charles and Zita temporarily resided at Castle Tata, the home of Count Esterházy, until a suitable permanent exile could be found. Malta was mooted as a possibility, but was declined by Lord Curzon, and French territory was ruled out due to the possibility of Zita's brothers intriguing on Charles's behalf. Eventually, the Portuguese island of Madeira was chosen. On 31 October 1921, the former Imperial couple were taken by rail from Tihany to Baja where the British monitor ''HMS Glow-worm'' was waiting. They finally arrived at Funchal on 19 November. The children were being looked after at Wartegg Castle in Switzerland by Charles's step-grandmother Maria Theresa, although Zita managed to see them in Zurich when her son Robert needed an operation for appendicitis. The children joined their parents in Madeira in February 1922.

Death of Charles

Charles had been in poor health for some time. After going shopping on a chilly day in Funchal to buy toys for Carl Ludwig, he was struck by an attack of bronchitis. This rapidly worsened into pneumonia, not helped by the inadequate medical care available. Several of the children and staff were also ill, and Zita (at the time eight months pregnant) helped nurse them all. Charles weakened and died on 1 April, his last words to his wife were "I love you so much." After his funeral, a witness said of Zita "This woman really is to be admired. She did not, for one second, lose her composure... she greeted the people on all sides and then spoke to those who had helped out with the funeral. They were all under her charm." Zita wore mourning black in Charles's memory throughout her 67 long years of widowhood.

Widowhood

After Charles's death, the former Austrian imperial family were soon to move again. Alfonso XIII of Spain had approached the British Foreign Office via his ambassador in London, and they agreed to allow Zita and her seven (soon to be eight) children relocate to Spain. Alfonso duly sent the warship ''Infanta Isabel'' to Funchal and this took them to Cadiz. They were then escorted to the Pardo Palace in Madrid, where shortly after her arrival Zita gave birth to a posthumous child, Archduchess Elisabeth. Alfonso XIII offered his exiled Habsburg relatives the use of Palacio Uribarren at Lekeitio in the Bay of Biscay. This appealed to Zita, who did not want to be a heavy burden to the state that harbored her. For the next six years Zita settled in Lekeitio, where she got on with the job of raising and educating her children. They lived with straitened finances, mainly living on income from private property in Austria, income from a vineyard in Johannisberg, and voluntary collections. Other members of the exiled Habsburg dynasty, however, claimed much of this money, and there were regular petitions for help from former Imperial officials.

Move to Belgium

By 1929, several of the children were approaching the age to attend university and the family sought to move somewhere of a more congenial educational climate than Spain. That September, they moved to the Belgian village of Steenokkerzeel near Brussels, where they were closer to several members of their family. Zita continued her political lobbying on behalf of the Habsburg family, even sounding out links with Mussolini's Italy. There was even a possibility of a Habsburg restoration under the Austrian Chancellors Engelbert Dollfuss and Kurt Schuschnigg, with Crown Prince Otto visiting Austria numerous times. These overtures were abruptly ended by the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany in 1938. As exiles, the Habsburg family took the lead in resisting the Nazis in Austria, but this foundered because of opposition between monarchists and socialists.

Flight to America

With the Nazi invasion of Belgium on 10 May 1940, Zita and her family became war refugees. They narrowly missed being killed by a direct hit on the castle by German bombers and fled to Prince Xavier's French Castle in Bostz. With the assumption of power by the collaborationist government of Philippe Pétain, the Habsburgs fled to the Spanish border, reaching it on 18 May. They moved on to Portugal where the U.S. Government granted the family exit visas on 9 July. After a perilous journey they arrived in New York on 27 July, having family in Long Island and Newark, New Jersey.; at one point, Zita and several of her children lived, as long-term house-guests, in Tuxedo Park, at Suffern, New York.

The Austrian imperial refugees eventually settled in Quebec, which had the advantage of being French-speaking (the younger children were not yet fluent in English). As they were cut off from all European funds, finances were more stretched than ever. At one stage, Zita was reduced to making salad and spinach dishes from dandelion leaves. However, all her sons were active in the war effort. Otto promoted the dynasty's role in a post-war Europe and met regularly with Franklin Roosevelt; Robert was the Habsburg representative in London; Carl Ludwig and Felix joined the United States Army, serving with several American-raised relatives of the Mauerer line; Rudolf smuggled himself into Austria in the final days of the war to help organise the resistance. In 1945 Empress Zita celebrated her birthday on the first day of peace, 9 May. She was to spend the next two years touring the United States and Canada to raise funds for war-ravaged Austria and Hungary.

Post-War

After a period of rest and recovery, Zita found herself regularly going back to Europe for the weddings of her children. She decided to move back to the continent full time, in 1952, to Luxembourg, in order to look after her aging mother. Maria Antonia died at the age of 96 in 1959. The bishop of Chur proposed to Zita that she move into a residence that he administered (formerly a castle of the Counts de Salis) at Zizers, Graubünden in Switzerland. As the castle had enough space for visits from her large family, and a nearby chapel (a necessity for the devoutly Catholic Zita), she accepted with ease.

Zita occupied her final years with her family. Although the restrictions on the Habsburgs entering Austria had been lifted, this only applied to those born after 10 April 1919. This meant Zita could not attend the funeral of her daughter Adelheid in 1972, which was painful for her. She also involved herself in the efforts to have her deceased husband, the "Peace Emperor" canonised. In 1982, the restrictions were eased, and she returned to Austria after having been absent for six decades. Over the next few years, the Empress made several visits to her former Austrian homeland, even appearing on Austrian television. In a series of interviews with the Viennese tabloid newspaper ''Kronen Zeitung'', Zita expressed her belief that the deaths of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria and his mistress Baroness Mary Vetsera, at Mayerling, in 1889, were not a double suicide, but rather murder by French or Austrian agents.

Death

After a memorable 90th birthday, where she was surrounded by her now vast family, Zita's strong health began to fail. She developed inoperable cataracts in both eyes. Her last big family gathering took place at Zizers, in 1987, when her children and grandchildren joined in celebrating Empress Zita's 95th birthday. While visiting her daughter, in summer 1988, she developed pneumonia and spent most of the autumn and winter bedridden. Finally, she called Otto, in early March 1989, and told him she was dying. He and the rest of the family travelled to her bedside and took turns keeping her company until she died in the early hours of 14 March 1989. She was 96 years old.

Her funeral was held in Vienna on 1 April. The government allowed it to take place on Austrian soil providing that the cost was borne by the Habsburgs themselves. Zita's body was carried to the Kapuziner Crypt in the same funeral coach she had walked behind during the funeral of Emperor Franz Joseph in 1916. It was attended by over 200 members of the Habsburg and Bourbon-Parma families, and the service had 6,000 attendees including leading politicians, state officials and international representatives, including a representative of Pope John Paul II. Following an ancient custom, the Empress had asked that her heart, which was placed in an urn, stay behind at the monastery of Muri, in Switzerland, where the Emperor's heart had rested for decades. In doing so, Zita assured herself that, in death, she and her husband would remain by each other's side.

When the procession of mourners arrived at the gates of the Imperial Crypt, the herald who knocked on the door during this traditional "admission ceremony" introduced her as ''Zita, Her Majesty the Empress and Queen''.

Cause of beatification

On 10 December 2009, Mgr Yves Le Saux, Bishop of Le Mans, France, opened the diocesan process for the beatification of Zita. Normally the diocesan process is conducted where an individual died. On 13 March 2006 and 4 March 2008, Bishop Le Saux's predecessor Mgr Jacques Maurice Faivre, had petitioned the Congregation for the Causes of Saints for an indult permitting the diocesan process to be conducted in Le Mans. On 11 April 2008 the Congregation, having received the assent of the Bishop of Chur, replied affirmatively to the request. Zita was in the habit of spending several months each year in the diocese of Le Mans at St. Cecilia's Abbey, Solesmes, where three of her sisters were nuns.

The postulator for the cause is Father Cyrille Debris. The judge of the tribunal is Father Bruno Bonnet. The promoter of justice is the Dominican Father Philippe Toxe. The notary is Didier Le Gac.

Titles and styles

9 May 1892 – 21 October 1911: ''Her Royal Highness'' Princess Zita of Bourbon-Parma

21 October 1911 – 21 November 1916: ''Her Imperial and Royal Highness'' Archduchess Zita of Austria

21 November 1916 – 11 November 1918: ''Her Imperial and Royal Apostolic Majesty'' The Empress of Austria, Apostolic Queen of Hungary

11 November 1918 – 14 March 1989:

*''Her Imperial and Royal Apostolic Majesty'' Empress Zita of Austria, Apostolic Queen of Hungary (used outside of Austria)

* Zita, Duchess of Bar (inscribed in her passport)

* Zita Habsburg-Lothringen (used in Austria)

Children

Charles I, Emperor of Austria and Zita of Bourbon-Parma had eight children:

{|class="wikitable" ! Name||Birth||Death||Notes |- |Crown Prince Otto||20 November 1912||4 July 2011||married (1951) Princess Regina of Saxe-Meiningen (6 January 1925 – 3 February 2010) and had seven children. |- |* Archduchess Adelheid||3 January 1914||2 October 1971 |- |* Archduke Robert||8 February 1915||7 February 1996||married (1953) Princess Margherita of Savoy-Aosta (b. 7 April 1930) and had five children. |- |* Archduke Felix||31 May 1916||||married (1952) Princess Anna Eugenie von Arenberg (1925) – (1997) and has seven children. |- |* Archduke Carl Ludwig||10 March 1918||11 December 2007||married (1950) Princess Yolanda of Ligne (b. 6 May 1923) and had four children. |- |* Archduke Rudolf||5 September 1919||15 May 2010||married (1953) Countess Xenia Tschernyschev-Besobrasoff (b. 11 June 1929 d. 20 September 1968) and had four children. Married (secondly) (1971) Princess Anna Gabriele of Wrede (b. 11 September 1940) and had one child. |- |* Archduchess Charlotte||1 March 1921||23 July 1989||married (1956) Duke Georg of Mecklenburg ( – 6 July 1963). |- |* Archduchess Elisabeth||31 May 1922||7 January 1993||married (1949) Prince Heinrich of Liechtenstein (5 August 1916 – 17 April 1991) and had five children. |}

Ancestry

{{ahnentafel-compact5 |style=font-size: 90%; line-height: 110%; |border=1 |boxstyle=padding-top: 0; padding-bottom: 0; |boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc; |boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9; |boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc; |boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc; |boxstyle_5=background-color: #9fe; |1= 1. Zita of Bourbon-Parma |2= 2. Robert I, Duke of Parma |3= 3. Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal |4= 4. Charles III, Duke of Parma |5= 5. Princess Louise Marie Thérèse d'Artois |6= 6. Miguel of Portugal |7= 7. Princess Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg |8= 8. Charles II, Duke of Parma |9= 9. Princess Maria Teresa of Savoy |10= 10. Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry |11= 11. Princess Caroline of Naples and Sicily |12= 12. John VI of Portugal |13= 13. Infanta Carlota Joaquina of Spain |14= 14. Constantine, Hereditary Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg |15= 15. Princess Agnes of Hohenlohe-Langenburg |16= 16. Louis of Etruria |17= 17. Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain |18= 18. Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia |19= 19. Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria-Este |20= 20. Charles X of France |21= 21. Princess Maria Theresa of Savoy |22= 22. Francis I of the Two Sicilies |23= 23. Archduchess Maria Clementina of Austria |24= 24. Peter III of Portugal |25= 25. Maria I of Portugal |26= 26. Charles IV of Spain |27= 27. Princess Maria Luisa of Parma |28= 28. Karl V, Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg |29= 29. Countess Sophie Luise of Windisch-Graetz |30= 30. Carl Ludwig III, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg |31= 31. Countess Amalie Henriette Charlotte of Solms-Baruth }}

References

Beeche, Arturo & McIntosh, David. (2005). ''Empress Zita of Austria, Queen of Hungary (1892–1989)'' Eurohistory. ASIN: B000F1PHOI

Bogle, James and Joanna. (1990). '' A Heart for Europe: The Lives of Emperor Charles and Empress Zita of Austria-Hungary'', Fowler Wright, 1990, ISBN 0-85244-173-8

Brook-Shepherd, Gordon. (1991). ''The Last Empress – The Life and Times of Zita of Austria-Hungary 1893–1989''. Harper-Collins. ISBN 0-00-215861-2

Harding, Bertita. (1939). ''Imperial Twilight: The Story of Karl and Zita of Hungary''. Bobbs-Merrill Company Publishers. ASIN: B000J0DDQO

Notes

External links

Category:1892 births Category:1989 deaths Category:People from the Province of Lucca Category:Princesses of Bourbon-Parma Category:House of Bourbon-Parma Category:Italian nobility Category:Italian Roman Catholics Category:House of Habsburg-Lorraine Category:Austrian royalty Category:Burials at the Imperial Crypts, Vienna Category:Austrian empresses Category:Austrian Roman Catholics Category:Bohemian queens consort Category:Hungarian queens consort Category:Hungarian Roman Catholics Category:Austrian people of Italian descent Category:Czech people of Italian descent Category:Hungarian people of Italian descent Category:Grand Mistresses of the Order of the Starry Cross

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Franco Corelli (8 April 1921 – 29 October 2003) was a famous Italian tenor who had a major international opera career between 1951 and 1976. Associated in particular with the spinto and dramatic tenor roles of the Italian repertory, he was celebrated universally for his powerhouse voice, electrifying top notes, clear timbre, a very elegant and passionate singing and remarkable performances. Dubbed the "Prince of tenors", Corelli possessed handsome features and a charismatic stage presence which endeared him to audiences. He had a long and fruitful partnership with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City between 1961 and 1975. He also appeared on the stages of most of the major opera houses in Europe and with opera companies throughout North America.

Biography

Early life and education: 1921-1950

Corelli was born Dario Franco Corelli in Ancona into a family many have thought to have little or no musical background. While his parents were not particularly musical, his paternal grandfather Augusto had actually quit working at 35 to establish a successful career as an operatic tenor. His older brother Aldo subsequently quit school to become an operatic baritone, and two of his uncles sang in the Teatro delle Muse chorus in Ancona. His father was a shipbuilder for the Italian navy and the family lived along the Adriatic Sea. Corelli loved the sea and initially decided to follow in the footsteps of his father by pursuing a degree in naval engineering at the University of Bologna. While studying there he entered a music competition under the dare of a friend who was an amateur singer. While he did not win the competition, he was encouraged by the judges to pursue a singing career and Corelli entered the Pesaro Conservatory of Music to study opera.

At the conservatory, Corelli studied under Rita Pavoni and Arturo Melocchi but was unhappy with the results, saying these lessons basically destroyed his upper register. After this Corelli decided to become his own teacher, and referred to voice teachers as "dangerous people" and a "plague to singers". At first he tried to turn himself into a baritone, but quickly abandoned that pursuit. He then pursued learning the tenor repertoire by imitating the style and vocal effects of the recordings of great tenors like Enrico Caruso, Giacomo Lauri-Volpi, Aureliano Pertile, and Beniamino Gigli. ''Opera News'' stated that Corelli's technique used "a manipulation of the larynx downward that resulted in his cavernous sound even in high-flying passages, where it gained brilliance. Regulating the breath pressure, the tenor was able to reduce this sound while retaining the core of the voice in a diminuendo, or even a morendo on a high B-flat, the effect requested by Verdi at the end of 'Celeste Aida'."

Early career: 1951-1960

In the summer of 1951, Corelli won the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Florence, earning a debut at Spoleto the following fall. He was originally scheduled to sing Radames in Verdi's ''Aïda'' and spent three months preparing the role with conductor Giuseppe Bertelli. However, Corelli eventually switched to Don José in Bizet's ''Carmen'', feeling that at this point he lacked the technical finesse and legato for the role of Radamès. In November 1951, he made his debut at the Rome Opera as Manrico in ''Il trovatore'' opposite Maria Caniglia as Leonora. The next year he appeared in operas with smaller opera houses throughout Italy and on the Italian radio. In 1953 he joined the Rome Opera's roster of principal tenors where he spent much of his time performing through 1958. His first role with the company in 1953 was that of Romeo in Zandonai's rarely heard opera ''Giulietta e Romeo''. Later that season he sang Pollione in Bellini's ''Norma'' opposite Maria Callas in the title role. It was the first time the two sang opposite one another and Callas immediately became a fan of Corelli. The two performed frequently with each other over the next several years in a partnership that lasted to the end of Callas's career.

While singing at the Rome Opera, Corelli also made numerous appearances with other opera houses both in Italy and internationally. He made his first appearance at La Scala in Milan in 1954, as Licinio in Spontini's ''La vestale'' opposite Callas's Julia for the opening of the 1954-1955 season. He returned several more times to that house over the next five years, singing opposite Callas in productions of ''Fedora'' (1956), ''Il pirata'' (1958) and ''Poliuto'' (1960). He also notably portrayed the role of Dick Johnson in a highly celebrated performance of ''La fanciulla del West'' at La Scala in 1956, opposite Gigliola Frazzoni and Tito Gobbi, which was broadcast live on Italian radio. Other important debuts for Corelli soon followed, including his first appearances at: the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Florence and the Arena di Verona Festival in 1955; the Vienna State Opera, as Radamès, and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in London, as Cavaradossi, in 1957; the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos in Lisbon, the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the San Francisco Opera in 1958; and the Berlin State Opera in 1961. Among the many triumphs of the decade for Corelli were two highly celebrated performances at the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, a 1958 appearance as Don Alvaro in ''La forza del destino'' opposite Renata Tebaldi as Leonora and a 1959 performance of Maurizio in ''Adriana Lecouvreur'' opposite Magda Olivero in the title role.

During his early career, Corelli sang in a number of rare operas in which he triumphed including performances of Spontini's ''Agnese di Hohenstaufen'', Handel's ''Giulio Cesare'' and ''Hercules'', Prokofiev's ''War and Peace'', and the world premiere of Guido Guerrini's ''Enea''. By 1960 his active repertory included some 30 roles including the title role in Giordano's ''Andrea Chénier'', Turiddu in Mascagni's ''Cavalleria rusticana'', Rodolfo in Puccini's ''La bohème'', and the title roles in Verdi's ''Don Carlos'' and ''Ernani''.

In 1957 Corelli met soprano Loretta di Lelio when she came backstage after one of his performances at the Rome Opera House to get his autograph. They began seeing each other romantically and married in 1958. After their marriage, Loretta gave up her fledgling opera career to serve as her husband's business manager, secretary, public relations agent, cook, and English translator. Their marriage ended upon Corelli's death forty-five years later.

The Metropolitan Opera years: 1961-1975

Corelli made his debut at New York's Metropolitan Opera on 27 January 1961 as Manrico in ''Il trovatore,'' opposite soprano Leontyne Price as Leonora who was also making her house debut at the Met that evening. He would sing to great acclaim at the Met until 1974 in roles such as Calaf (with Birgit Nilsson as Turandot), Cavaradossi, Maurizio, Ernani, Rodolfo and Edgardo. He also undertook French parts in new productions of ''Roméo et Juliette'' and ''Werther''. He sang at a number of historic nights at the Met including: the closing gala at the old Met, the concert honoring Sir Rudolf Bing's retirement, and Callas's legendary comeback Tosca. His last performance at the Met was on December 28, 1974 as Calàf with Ingrid Bjoner, also singing her last performance at the Met, as Turandot. However, Corelli did tour extensively with the Metropolitan Opera in 1975, singing in performances in cities throughout the United States and in Japan.

While singing at the Met, Corelli continued to be a presence on the international stage. In 1961 he made his debut with the Deutsche Oper Berlin. He returned to La Scala in 1962, for a revival of Meyerbeer's ''Les Huguenots'', opposite Joan Sutherland, and that same year appeared as Manrico in a lauded production of ''Il trovatore'' at the Salzburg Festival under Herbert von Karajan and opposite Leontyne Price, Giulietta Simionato, and Ettore Bastianini. Also in 1962 he made his first appearance with the Philadelphia Lyric Opera Company as Mario Cavaradossi. He returned to Philadelphia almost every year through 1971 portraying close to a dozen different roles. He made his debut at the Paris Opéra in 1964 opposite Callas in Tosca and Norma.

In the early 1970s, Corelli's voice began to show some signs of wear after years of hard use in a demanding repertory. As a result, the resultant nerves surrounding performances became increasingly difficult to handle for the tenor. He made his last opera appearance as Rodolfo in 1976 in Torre del Lago at the age of 55. Corelli later said of the decision, "I felt that my voice was a little tired, a little opaque, less brilliant than before. The singer's life cost me a great deal. I was full of apprehension and mad at everyone. I was a bundle of nerves, I wasn't eating or sleeping."

Later life: 1976-2003

After retiring from the stage, Corelli became a popular voice teacher in New York City, somewhat ironic for a man who himself disdained voice teachers for much of his life. Corelli briefly served as mentor to ''America's Got Talent'' finalist Donald Braswell II, who has played many of the same roles as Corelli. He was briefly coaxed out of retirement for concerts in 1980 and 1981. He died in Milan in 2003, aged 82, having suffered a stroke earlier that year. He was buried in Milan's Cimitero Monumentale.

Critical reception

With a rich and ringing spinto tenor voice and movie-star good looks, Corelli won a wide public following from early on his career. However, while the public was enthralled with the tenor, music critics were divided, with some complaining about what they perceived as self-indulgence of phrasing and expression. During the 1960s the anti-Corelli sentiment among critics was epitomized by Alan Rich of the ''The New York Herald Tribune'' in a 1966 article which, while acknowledged the vibrancy and white heat of his singing, considered Corelli a throwback to an earlier era when, from Mr. Rich's perspective, musical compromises were common and stylistic refinement lacking. Rich said that, Corelli is "not employed by an opera, but employs it to serve purposes it was not meant to serve." Also, many critics did not look favourably upon of his performances in French opera, owing to the tenor’s exotic French diction and style. However, Corelli also had his admirers among several highly respected and notable critics, including Harold C. Schonberg of ''The New York Times'', who once defended the expressive liberties taken by Corelli as possessing "its own kind of logic".

Selected recordings

He left many recordings of solo arias and complete operas. These reveal the splendour of Corelli's voice in its prime during the late 1950s and 1960s. Many admirers prefer recordings of his live performances, finding Corelli's singing in front of an audience far more exciting than his studio performances. Fortunately, many of these are available.

!Year	!Opera	!Cast	!Conductor,Opera House and Orchestra	!Label
1956		Mary Curtis Verna, Franco Corelli,Miriam Pirazzini, Giangiacomo Guelfi,Giulio Neri	Angelo Questa Chorus and Orchestra of the RAI Turin	Cetra
1960	Vincenzo Bellini	[[Maria Callas, Christa Ludwig,Franco Corelli, Nicola Zaccaria		EMI
		Franco Corelli, Lucine Amara,Tito Gobbi, Mario Zanasi	Lovro von Matačić Coro e Orchestra Teatro alla Scala	EMI
1962		Victoria de los Ángeles, Franco Corelli,Mario Sereni		EMI
1963		Leontyne Price, Franco Corelli,Mirella Freni, Robert Merrill	Herbert von KarajanWiener Philharmoniker and Wiener Staatsopernchor	RCA
		Franco Corelli, Antonietta Stella,Mario Sereni	Gabriele SantiniRome Opera Chorus and Orchestra	EMI
1964	Verdi - ''Il trovatore''	Franco Corelli, Gabriella Tucci,Giulietta Simionato, Robert Merrill,Ferruccio Mazzoli	Thomas SchippersRome Opera Chorus and Orchestra	EMI
1965		Birgit Nilsson, Franco Corelli,Renata Scotto, Bonaldo Giaiotti	Francesco Molinari-PradelliRome Opera Chorus and Orchestra	EMI
	Verdi - ''Aida''	Birgit Nilsson, Franco Corelli,Grace Bumbry, Mario Sereni, Bonaldo Giaiotti	Zubin MehtaRome Opera Chorus and Orchestra	EMI
1966	Charles Gounod	[[Joan Sutherland, Franco Corelli,Nicolai Ghiaurov
1966	Puccini - ''Tosca''	Birgit Nilsson, Franco Corelli,Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau	Lorin MaazelOrchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia	DECCA
1968	Gounod - ''Roméo et Juliette''	Franco Corelli, Mirella Freni,Xavier Dupraz		EMI
1970	Bizet - ''Carmen''	Franco Corelli, Anna Moffo,Helen Donath, Piero Cappuccilli	Lorin MaazelOrchester und Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin	RCA

References

''The Metropolitan Opera Encyclopedia'', edited by David Hamilton, (Simon and Schuster, 1987) ISBN 0-671-61732-X

''The Metropolitan Opera Guide to Recorded Opera'', edited by Paul Gruber, (W.W. Norton & Company, 1993) ISBN 0-393-03444-5

Giancarlo Landini, Franco Corelli, L'uomo, la voce, l'arte, Viareggio, Idea Books, 2010, pagg.296, oltre 200 immagini.

External links

History of the Tenor - Sound Clips and Narration

Category:1921 births Category:2003 deaths Category:Italian opera singers Category:Operatic tenors Category:People from Ancona Category:Burials at the Cimitero Monumentale di Milano

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