#Grassini

[opera-ghosts]

This is a small box packaging for sweeties ca. 1920 from Italy. A rare to find item. On this you see the portrait from the Opera Diva Giuseppina Grassini (1773-1850). Take a look on her live that was really special.

[napoleonic-confessions]

[picturebookshelf]

Geronimo Stilton: The Karate Mouse (2010)

Story: Elisabetta Dami -- Translated: Lidia Morson Tramontozzi -- Art: Rederico Brusco, Valentina Grassini & Chiara Sacchi

[napoleonic-sexyman-tournament]

Arthur Wellesley:

"So, I saw that you had no propaganda for the Iron Duke himself and thought that should be corrected, because I cannot let this man go unloved.

He is the ultimate sexyman. I don't really get that title or the requirements but I do know this man and he is the ultimate in Regency-era sexiness.

Field Marshal Sir Arthur Wellesley, First Duke of Wellington, whose full list of titles merits its own Wikipedia page, he had so many (including Prince of Waterloo of the Kingdom of the Netherlands), was so well known for his debonairness that he was often called "the Beau" or Beau Wellesley.

Our dear Duke with his eyes of "a brilliant light blue," is quite the underdog made good. The fourth son of an Anglo-Irish aristocratic family, he was a bit of a loner as a child, whose star was eclipsed by the academic success of his older and younger brothers. Yet he had a remarkable talent for the violin, which as we know from Mrs. Jefferson is quite a good quality for a man to have. As a young man he was considered extremely good humored and drew "much attention" from female society. The Napiers of Celbridge thought he was a "saucy stripling" and he was also considered quite mischievous. Yet he also had a rich inner life, reading and contemplating the great philosophers of the day.

Yes, we know about his military victories in the Peninsula (the position of Field Marshal of the British Army and the accompanying baton were created for him) and his success at Waterloo, but he was also both romantic and a ladies' man. (I could go on about the military success but that's not really what this is about, is it?)

Want the romantic side? He fell in love with Kitty Pakenham while a lowly aide-de-camp in Dublin but, with no real position or prospects, was laughed away by her brother when he sought to marry her. In a fit of pique he destroyed his violin and turned firmly toward progressing his career. Over a decade later, after he had made something of himself in India, he learned she hadn't married, supposedly because she was still pining for him. Reader, he married her, despite thinking she'd grown ugly, and got two children from her in less than two years. I'm not kidding, this man was virile. They married in April of 1806, their first son was born in February, 1807, and their second son was born in January 1808. Although he wasn't sexual faithful to her, Wellington wore an amulet she gave him for over twenty years, and was still wearing it when he sat with her on her deathbed. When she was surprised he still wore it, he told her if she'd just bothered to check in the last twenty years, she'd have found it. Despite surviving her by twenty years, the Duke never remarried.

Now, please don't think badly of him for the lack of sexual fidelity. It was the Georgian era. Sexual fidelity was not a part of marriage in high society. Men didn't sleep only with their wives and some wives could be quite happy with that (for one, it's much easier not to have one pregnancy after another when your husband is sleeping with someone else). Not that women weren't also sleeping around. Which brings me to one of Wellington's more… interesting conquests: Lady Caroline Lamb, wife of William Lamb (the future Second Viscount Melbourne and Prime Minister). Why do I know that name, you ask? The OG pixie manic dream girl, Caro's much more notably known for her affair with Lord Byron. After that particular bit of nonsense, she was in Brussels with the rest of the English aristocracy during the 100 Days/post Waterloo. She and the Duke supposedly slept together and she took his cloak away as a souvenir.

Who else did the Duke liaise with? Well, there were the usual flings with actresses and singers, such as La Grassini. As previously noted in another post on this tumblr, he was noted as a stronger, better lover than Napoleon by another of their mutual lovers. Wellington also was a client of Harriette Wilson. He visited her when she was in Paris after the Duke of Beaufort bought her off, though this was before Beaufort stopped paying her, prompting her to publish her memoirs. She canvassed her old lovers, including Wellington, to see if they'd pay her not to be in them. Wellington send her a note in return saying "Publish and be Damned." Something about his succinct dismissal of her is just so hot.

Oh, want a bit more of Wellington being a bad boy? In 1829, while Prime Minister, he got into a duel that still is commemorated almost two hundred years later. King's College, London, was set up while Wellington was also advocating for Catholic Emancipation and this led to Lord Winchilsea publicly insulting Wellington's honor to the point that the Duke (who'd never dueled before or supported dueling generally) called him out. They went to Battersea Fields and settled the matter with pistols. Wellington won and Winchelsea apologized. King's College celebrates "Duel Day" every March.

Even better, want to read about Elizabeth Bennet and the Duke being witty and falling in love? Complete with scenes of the Duke showing he knows what to do with his cannon? Then let me recommend the third variation of An Ever Fixed Mark, A Dalliance with the Duke. I dare you not to vote for him for all eternity with that portrayal in your head."

Emma, Lady Hamilton:

a. “Her boyfriend got bored with her and passed her onto his uncle. Reader, she married him, and started having threesomes with Lord Nelson. She basically bullied her way into social acceptance despite being a former courtesan. Also, she was hot as hell.”

[ic-napology]

So I am reading this novel about Naps and Josephine's story and his passion has already worn out in Italy, so his whole great love for here is also over by consequence. An idea is worth loving, not a human woman. He's already ogling Giuseppina Grassini. (Btw funny how his first serious mistress's name was the same he gave to his wife).

I'm bothered when they come to picture this as the ending of all Napoleon's love for Josephine. Mostly in fiction, but even non-fiction tends to give this interpretation of their dynamic, sometimes already during the Italian campaign.

(I should point that this is an old novel, though.)

Why should any feeling of love go away once most passion and enthusiasm is over? The "mio dolce amor" period seems to me as just one phase of a much more complex relationship. I'd rather see it like Napoleon matured out of an excessive enthusiasm, stopped idealising her wife and gave her a more balanced vision and sentiment. He certainly had to do this after facing her faults, maybe also suffering while doing so, but should that not be love too?

He must have stopped worshipping a divinity and begun comprehending a woman, and that should be framed more as a positive thing, not as a delusion.

[venomousmaiden]

Wellington’s women

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington enjoyed the company of women, except his wife, who he detested. His marriage to Catherine ‘Kitty’ Pakenham was commonly known to be loveless; he infamously remarked to his brother before their wedding, “She has grown ugly, by Jove”. Not an excellent start.

As perhaps the most famous and sexy man in Europe, (superseded only by the man whose wars granted him his celebrity) the Duke enjoyed no shortage of admirers. (Read: women threw themselves at him; redcoat fever was real). The attraction was mutual: according to Sharon Selin, “Wellington was very much at ease with women and enjoyed their company, especially if they were good-looking and intelligent”

I have endeavoured to record this list (with links to resources) of few of the women who graced good old nosey’s life for my research and writing.

Mrs Harriet Arbuthnot (close friend and Tory hostess, plus a political ally)

A powerful political woman

More

Lady Charlotte Greville (this one was almost certainly an affair - her husband even wrote telling her she was too obvious 😳)

More

Giuseppina Grassini (the opera singer he was frequently seen with in Paris in 1814, who also had an affair with his greatest enemy, Napoleon. Boss bitch for sure)

More

Marianne Patterson (this one was going well until she actually ended up marrying his brother 😬)

More

Angela Burdett-Coutts (rich heiress and philanthropist, who proposed to him (power move) when she was 33 and he was 77. And yes, she was from that Coutts family)

More

Further reading:

On embracing the Duke’s rakish nature

A summary his female companions

[microcosme11]

Massena dishes to an English aristocrat

Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire, to [her son] Augustus Foster. Marseilles, December 30, 1814 

Massena lives in the same street with us; he is full of attention to us, and, though broken in health and spirits, animates on topics which interest him. I heard that he would not talk about Bonaparte, and I was fearful, though very anxious, to name the subject. Last night we went to the prefect's, who has a fine house, and gave a very pretty ball. Massena sat between Lady Bessborough and me; he said something about Grassini. “Oh,” I said, too happy to find an occasion, “Etoit ce quand Bonaparte fut si amoureux d'elle?” “Bonaparte,” his eye assuming a stern expression, “ Bonaparte n'a jamais aimé personne, personne." I then went on from one thing to another, I found I could do so, and it was very interesting. “Quelle impression, Monsieur le Marechale, vous fit il, quand vous le connûtes premièrement?” “Un grand orgueil, Madame la Duchesse. Je l'ai connu qu'il n'étoit que Lieutenant colonel—des moyens, et pour cela de grand moyens, surtout dans la prosperité; dans l'adversité il manquoit de tête, il n'avoit rien de grand.” Of himself he said, “il m'aimoit ou en faisoit semblant, car jamais il n'a rien aimé que son ambition; il me tutoya c'étoit a Milan quand il commandoit en chef qu'il me dit, Massena ne voudroit tu être un des directeurs?' 'Non, je lui répondit, je ne me connais pas en politique, je ne sais faire que la guerre mais toi ne voudrais tu pas en être?' II me repondit 'avec quatre imbeciles, non, moi seul, oui'." He continued, "C'est lui qui m'a baptise enfant de la victoire—et bien, avec cela je fis une chute qui m'empechoit d'etre avec l'armée; il vint quatre fois la nuit me voir." "Mais cela," I said, "marquoit quelque sensibilité ." "II avoit besoin de moi. Je fis une maladie apres, non seulement il ne vint pas; il n'envoya pas même savoir de mes nouvelles." Many other things he told us, and we talked about, and it was very interesting. I'm afraid he don't live as he ought to do, but to us, &c, &c

---

Massena sat between Lady Bessborough and me; he said something about Grassini [Italian singer, Napoleon’s mistress]. “Oh,” I said, too happy to find an occasion, “Was it when Bonaparte was so in love with her?” “Bonaparte,” his eye assuming a stern expression, “Bonaparte never loved anyone, anyone.” I then went on from one thing to another, I found I could do so, and it was very interesting. “What impression, Monsieur le Marechal, did he make when you first met him?” "Great pride, Madame la Duchess. I knew him when he was only Lieutenant Colonel—he had means [intelligence, ability, etc], and for that, great means, especially in prosperity; in adversity he lost his head, then he had nothing great.” Of himself he said, "He loved me, or seemed to, because he never loved anything but his ambition; he tutoyer’d me in Milan when he was in command. He asked me, Massena, wouldn't you want to be one of the directors?' 'No, I answered him, I don't know politics, I only know how to make war; would you want to be one?' He replied, 'With four fools, no. I, alone, yes'. [Massena] continued, "It was he who baptized me child of victory—well, with that I took a fall that prevented me from being with the army; he came four times a night to see me." "But that," I said, "showed some sensitivity." "He needed me. I fell ill afterwards, not only did he not come; he did not even send to hear from me."

The Two Duchesses, Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire.

hathitrust

[steliosagapitos]

"Portrait Of Giuseppina Grassini" by Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun.

[joachimnapoleon]

Here’s Napoleon bringing up Murat’s sex life (again), which apparently lived rent-free in his head.

Source: General Gourgaud, Sainte-Hélène - journal inedit de 1815 à 1818

(5 May 1817, quoting Napoleon)

I never ran after women; during my second campaign in Italy, I told Berthier to send me Grassini, who could never understand why I had disdained her during my first campaign, when she was only sixteen years old; but then I had other fish to fry. What would have become of a twenty-five-year-old general-in-chief if he had chased after sex? All the ladies of Italy were at the disposal of the liberator of their country. Murat had a real need for women, so he compromised himself and almost had himself captured because of the countess [sic]. I almost drove him out of the army.

No idea what incident Napoleon is referring to here with Murat almost being captured because of his mistress, and I don’t know if the [sic] was Gourgaud’s own addition or the editor’s. Murat had at least two mistresses during the Italian campaign, both in Brescia, and neither were countesses: Francesca Ghirardi Lechi and one Madame Ruga, wife of a lawyer.

(Thanks to @histoireettralala for helping me work out a confusing part of the translation 😘)

[youcannottakeitwithyou]

Carlo Grassini

[maybekimx]

gattini grassini pelosini con vestitini

[shit-talk-turner]

is Zack dawes’s wife Italian or Italian American? // she's American but I think ethnically she's Italian. Dawes put the 🇮🇹 emoji under their wedding photos. Also her last name, Grassini, is an Italian name.

^

[lamilanomagazine]

Varese: dal 15 aprile al via i lavori di restyling del ponte del Gaggianello

Varese: dal 15 aprile al via i lavori di restyling del ponte del Gaggianello Al via dal 15 aprile i lavori di restyling del ponte del Gaggianello. La struttura, che collega viale Europa con Casbeno e il centro città con la via Metastasio, vedrà nelle prossime settimane gli operai impegnati in un restauro conservativo. Dopo gli interventi sui ponti di Flaiano, via Giordani e del Vivirolo, è arrivato il momento anche dei lavori di miglioria e riqualificazione del ponte del Gaggianello, con una spesa prevista di oltre 800 mila euro grazie ad un finanziamento di Regione Lombardia. Il cantiere partirà dal 15 aprile e sarà diviso in quattro fasi per limitare le modifiche alla viabilità. Nella prima fase dell'intervento è prevista la chiusura al traffico di Largo Grassini. Dunque la viabilità sarà deviata sulle rampe e sulla rotonda sul ponte, in modo da lasciare collegato viale Europa con viale Piero Chiara, nelle due direzioni, e la via Metastasio in arrivo o direzione centro città. Nella seconda fase invece verranno chiuse le rampe sud e mezzo anello della rotonda sul ponte. Quindi per chi proviene da via Metastasio non sarà possibile fare la rotonda sul ponte per andare in Viale Europa ma si dovrà utilizzare la rampa che scende verso via Piero Chiara in direzione della prima rotonda di Casbeno. Stesso discorso per chi proviene da Casbeno: non sarà possibile prendere la rampa direttamente per via Metastasio ma si dovrà proseguire in largo Grassini e poi viale Europa ed usare la prima rotonda per tornare indietro e poi salire dalla rampa nord in direzione via Metastasio. Tutti i cambiamenti alla viabilità saranno comunque segnalati mediante apposita cartellonistica che indicherà le deviazioni.... #notizie #news #breakingnews #cronaca #politica #eventi #sport #moda Read the full article

[napoleonic-sexyman-tournament]

So, I saw that you had no propaganda for the Iron Duke himself and thought that should be corrected, because I cannot let this man go unloved.

He is the ultimate sexyman. I don't really get that title or the requirements but I do know this man and he is the ultimate in Regency-era sexiness.

Field Marshal Sir Arthur Wellesley, First Duke of Wellington, whose full list of titles merits its own Wikipedia page, he had so many (including Prince of Waterloo of the Kingdom of the Netherlands), was so well known for his debonairness that he was often called "the Beau" or Beau Wellesley.

Our dear Duke with his eyes of "a brilliant light blue," is quite the underdog made good. The fourth son of an Anglo-Irish aristocratic family, he was a bit of a loner as a child, whose star was eclipsed by the academic success of his older and younger brothers. Yet he had a remarkable talent for the violin, which as we know from Mrs. Jefferson is quite a good quality for a man to have. As a young man he was considered extremely good humored and drew "much attention" from female society. The Napiers of Celbridge thought he was a "saucy stripling" and he was also considered quite mischievous. Yet he also had a rich inner life, reading and contemplating the great philosophers of the day.

Yes, we know about his military victories in the Peninsula (the position of Field Marshal of the British Army and the accompanying baton were created for him) and his success at Waterloo, but he was also both romantic and a ladies' man. (I could go on about the military success but that's not really what this is about, is it?)

Want the romantic side? He fell in love with Kitty Pakenham while a lowly aide-de-camp in Dublin but, with no real position or prospects, was laughed away by her brother when he sought to marry her. In a fit of pique he destroyed his violin and turned firmly toward progressing his career. Over a decade later, after he had made something of himself in India, he learned she hadn't married, supposedly because she was still pining for him. Reader, he married her, despite thinking she'd grown ugly, and got two children from her in less than two years. I'm not kidding, this man was virile. They married in April of 1806, their first son was born in February, 1807, and their second son was born in January 1808. Although he wasn't sexual faithful to her, Wellington wore an amulet she gave him for over twenty years, and was still wearing it when he sat with her on her deathbed. When she was surprised he still wore it, he told her if she'd just bothered to check in the last twenty years, she'd have found it. Despite surviving her by twenty years, the Duke never remarried.

Now, please don't think badly of him for the lack of sexual fidelity. It was the Georgian era. Sexual fidelity was not a part of marriage in high society. Men didn't sleep only with their wives and some wives could be quite happy with that (for one, it's much easier not to have one pregnancy after another when your husband is sleeping with someone else). Not that women weren't also sleeping around. Which brings me to one of Wellington's more... interesting conquests: Lady Caroline Lamb, wife of William Lamb (the future Second Viscount Melbourne and Prime Minister). Why do I know that name, you ask? The OG pixie manic dream girl, Caro's much more notably known for her affair with Lord Byron. After that particular bit of nonsense, she was in Brussels with the rest of the English aristocracy during the 100 Days/post Waterloo. She and the Duke supposedly slept together and she took his cloak away as a souvenir.

Who else did the Duke liaise with? Well, there were the usual flings with actresses and singers, such as La Grassini. As previously noted in another post on this tumblr, he was noted as a stronger, better lover than Napoleon by another of their mutual lovers. Wellington also was a client of Harriette Wilson. He visited her when she was in Paris after the Duke of Beaufort bought her off, though this was before Beaufort stopped paying her, prompting her to publish her memoirs. She canvassed her old lovers, including Wellington, to see if they'd pay her not to be in them. Wellington send her a note in return saying "Publish and be Damned." Something about his succinct dismissal of her is just so hot.

Oh, want a bit more of Wellington being a bad boy? In 1829, while Prime Minister, he got into a duel that still is commemorated almost two hundred years later. King's College, London, was set up while Wellington was also advocating for Catholic Emancipation and this led to Lord Winchilsea publicly insulting Wellington's honor to the point that the Duke (who'd never dueled before or supported dueling generally) called him out. They went to Battersea Fields and settled the matter with pistols. Wellington won and Winchelsea apologized. King's College celebrates "Duel Day" every March.

Even better, want to read about Elizabeth Bennet and the Duke being witty and falling in love? Complete with scenes of the Duke showing he knows what to do with his cannon? Then let me recommend the third variation of An Ever Fixed Mark, A Dalliance with the Duke. I dare you not to vote for him for all eternity with that portrayal in your head.

.

[guillaumesavoye]

by Giorgia Grassini

[eyecessorize]

by Giorgia Grassini