Virginia Courtauld

Lady
Virginia Courtauld
View of a white marble bust of Virginia Courtauld in an upper floor window of Eltham Palace
"Portrait Bust of Virginia Courtauld", Filippo Lovatelli, 1923
Born
Vergilia Rosa Vester

(1885-01-07)7 January 1885
Brăila, Kingdom of Romania
Died20 December 1972(1972-12-20) (aged 87)
Jersey, Channel Islands, British Crown Dependency
Other names
  • Ginie Peirano
  • Ginie Courtauld
  • Virginia Spinola Peirano
  • Virginia Peirano Courtauld
  • Virginia Courtauld Peirano
Citizenship
OccupationPhilanthropist
Known for
Spouses
Marchese Paolo Spinola di Luccoli
​
​
(m. 1910; div. 1923)​
​
​
(m. 1923; died 1967)​
Family

Lady Virginia Courtauld (Known name of Virginia Peirano; formerly Spinola Peirano) was a Romanian-born philanthropist and member of the Courtauld Family, known for the Art Deco renovation of Eltham Palace and co-owning the La Rochelle country estate.

Early life

Virginia Peirano was born Vergilia Rosa Vesterα on 7 January 1885 in Brăila, to a Hungarian mother, Rosa Balint Peirano (1860–1940), and an Italian father, Riccardo Peirano (1854–1930). Peirano's father was a shipping merchant, whose family left Genoa in the late nineteenth century and established a grain-exporting business in the Romanian port city of Brăila.

Peirano had two older brothers, Riccardo Jr. "Richard" Peirano (1880–c.1918–c.1923) and Enrico "Henry" Peirano (1881–). Peirano's parents married on the 30 November 1886.

Peirano's childhood was spent in London, where she was educated at convent school.

Italy

In December 1908, Riccardo Peirano dissolved his partnership in the family business "Peirano & Co.," leaving control of the company to his eldest son Richard Peirano and to George Nicholas Gologan of the Romanian Consulate. In either late 1909 or early 1910, Peirano relocated with her parents to Santa Margherita, Liguria . In May 1910, the Peirano family rented a villa within the private park of the then Villa Spinola, owned by the Marquis Ugo Spinola (1853–1925) and Solferina Serra Spinola (1859–1944).

In 1910, Peirano met the Marchese Paolo Spinola (1880–1969), the Spinola's third and youngest son and a member of the Luccoli branch of the House of Spinola. Within months of knowing each other, Peirano and Spinola broke with social convention and traveled together to Paris and London. On the 24 November 1910, Peirano and Spinola were married at the Cathedral of Saint Lawrence in Genoa. Honeymooning in the Khedivate of Egypt, the couple continued to travel extensively throughout their marriage.

Villa del Trattato, built for Paolo Spinola and Virginia Peirano

Peirano and Spinola lived between London and the "villino Pagana n.8" on the Villa Spinola estate. In 1913, Ugo and Solferina Spinola commissioned the "neova villa" (Later known as the Villa del Trattato [it]) to be built for the couple on the Villa Spinola Estate. Styled after the Villa Serra di Comago, the Villa del Trattato was completed in 1915 however, Peirano and Spinola never lived in the property. Initially passionate, Peirano's and Spinola's marriage was strained by class and cultural differences which saw Peirano struggle to fit in with the conservative Spinola family. In 1919, Peirano met Stephen Courtauld in Courmayeur whilst on a skiing holiday with Spinola, and formed a romantic relationship.

Peirano and Luccoli separated in either the spring or summer of 1920, and finalised their divorce in Fiume (present-day Rijeka, Croatia) in 1923. Peirano married Stephen Courtauld in Fiume soon after, whilst Spinola formed a long term relationship with the actress Hydée Urbani.

Eltham Palace

As a wedding present, Stephen Courtauld gifted Peirano a pet ring-tailed lemur named Mah-Jongg, who lived and traveled with the couple for the next 15 years.

In 1933, the couple acquired a 99-year-lease on Eltham Palace, and completed an Art Deco renovation. Following a bombing on Eltham Palace in 1944, the Courtauld's gave up their lease and moved to Scotland.

Rhodesia

In 1951, the Courtauld's moved to Southern Rhodesia (present-day Zimbabwe), and commissioned the building of the La Rochelle country estate. The Courtaulds supported non-racialism, were personal friends of Hastings Banda and advocated for Rhodesian black rule. Following Stephen Courtauld death in 1967, Peirano reportedly began financially supporting members of the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army crossing the Mozambique–Zimbabwe border.

Jersey

Peirano left Zimbabwe in 1970, and lived with family in St Lawrence, Jersey.

The 2017 book Virginia, un mondo perduto. Scene da un matrimonio Belle Epoque di casa Spinola (English: Virginia, a Lost World. Scenes from a Belle Epoque Marriage at Casa Spinola) was edited by Galleria nazionale di palazzo Spinola [it]. In 2018, Peirano was honoured at the Rose Festival in Busalla (Italian: Festa delle Rose di Busalla).

The 2019 historical fiction book The Dragon Lady is based on Peirano's life.

The Indonesian orchid Vanda lombokensis 'Virginia Courtauld' is named after Peirano.

Notes

^α It is unclear why Peirano was given the surname Vester.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Peirano, Rosa Balint". England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858–1995: 261. 1940.
  2. ↑ "Virginia Coustauld [Virginia Courtauld]". 1939 England and Wales Register (RG 101/661J). Kew, London: The National Archives. 1939.
  3. ↑ "Virginia Courtauld". Manifests of Alien Arrivals in the Seattle, Washington District (Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1781–2004, Record Group Number: 85, Series Number: A4107, Roll Number 009). Washington, D.C.: The National Archives. 1929.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Gerstein, Alexandra (2019). "Courtauld Philanthropy : A Family Affair". In Serres, Karen (ed.). Courtauld Collection : A Vision for Impressionism. Paris, London: Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paul Holberton Publishing. pp. 331–336. ISBN 978-1-911300-58-8.
  5. 1 2 3 Moretti, Matteo (2017). "Albero Genealogico Delle Famiglie Spinola E Peirano". Virginia, Un mondo perduto. Scene da un matrimonio Belle Epoque di casa Spinola (in Italian). Genoa: Sagep Editori. ISBN 978-88-6373-486-7.
  6. ↑ "Peirano, Riccardo". England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858–1995: 669. 1931.
  7. ↑ "Richard Peirano (the younger)". UK, Naturalisation Certificates and Declarations, 1870–1916. Kew, Surrey: The National Archives. 1909.
  8. ↑ "Henry Peirano". UK, Naturalisation Certificates and Declarations, 1870–1916. Kew, Surrey: The National Archives. 1906.
  9. 1 2 3 Treger, Louisa (2020). "Lady Virginia Courtauld : Who was Eltham Palace's 20th-century lady of the house?". Inspire Me : English Heritage. Swindon: English Heritage. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  10. ↑ "Notice of dissolution of partnership". The London Gazette. Vol. Tuesday, January 5, no. 28212. The Stationery Office. 1909. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  11. ↑ "Insignia of Commander. George Nicholas Gologan, Esq., Honorary Consul-General of Roumania in London". The London Gazette. Vol. Tuesday, 10 February, no. 33688. The Stationery Office. 1931. p. 927. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Gallerie Nazionali di Palazzo Spinola - Donne Spinola negli Anni Venti, femministe inconsapevoli. Virginia Spinola". Youtube (in Italian). Rome: Ministero della Cultura. 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Olcese Spingardi, Caterina (2017). "Paolo, L'età dell'innocenza". Virginia, Un mondo perduto. Scene da un matrimonio Belle Epoque di casa Spinola (in Italian). Genoa: Sagep Editori. ISBN 978-88-6373-486-7.
  14. 1 2 3 "I Proprietari: 1958 Paolo Spinola". Musei Nazionali di Genova Palazzo Spinola (in Italian). Genova: Palazzo Spinola e Galleria Nazionale della Liguria. 2022.
  15. 1 2 3 "Gallerie Nazionali di Palazzo Spinola - Donne Spinola negli Anni Venti, femministe inconsapevoli". Youtube (in Italian). Rome: Ministero della Cultura. 2020. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  16. ↑ Pinasco, Anna Maria (2024). "Assemblea - Presentazione socia - Conferenza Titolo: L'identità negata di una femminista inconsapevole: Virginia Peirano Spinola". Soroptimist Club Genova Due (in Italian). Soroptimist International d'Italia. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  17. 1 2 "Presentazione volume "Virginia, un mondo perduto"". Musei Nazionali di Genova Palazzo Spinola (in Italian). Genova: Palazzo Spinola e Galleria Nazionale della Liguria. 2017. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  18. ↑ "Virginia Courtauld : South Africa, Biographical Index, 1825-2005". Ancestry.com. Lehi, Utah. p. 1072. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  19. ↑ Sales, Jim (2023). "A celebration of listed buildings". Abode Insurance. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  20. ↑ Ducas, June (1999). "EXPEDITIONS; An English Palace That Holds an Art Deco Dream". New York Times. No. July 22. p. 9. Archived from the original on 13 September 2017. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  21. ↑ Roller, Sarah. "Collectors and Philanthropists: Who Were the Courtauld Brothers?". HISTORYHIT. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  22. 1 2 "Non-Racial Philanthropist". The Glasgow Herald. Vol. 217. 10 October 1967. p. 11.
  23. 1 2 Murray, Paul (2016). "The Eastern Highlands: CENTRAL AREA". Zimbabwe. Chalfont St Peter: Bradt Travel Guides. p. 369.
  24. ↑ "D/Y/B1/184/53: Will and Testament of Virginia Peirano, known as Lady Virginia Courtauld, widow of Sir Stephen Lewis Courtauld, of Les Arbres, St Lawrence and formerly of La Rochelle, Imbeza Valley, Umtali, Rhodesia. Dated 20/03/1969. Codicil Added 02/12/1970. Second Codicil Added 28/09/1972. [Includes 13 closed documents]". Jersey Heritage. St Helier, Jersey. Archived from the original on 22 May 2025. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  25. ↑ "Virginia. Un mondo perduto. Scene da un matrimonio Belle Epoque di casa Spinola". Musei Nazionali di Genova Palazzo Spinola (in Italian). Genova: Palazzo Spinola e Galleria Nazionale della Liguria. 2017. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  26. ↑ "Busalla, torna la "Festa delle Rose". GenovaToday (in Italian). 2018. Archived from the original on 28 October 2021. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  27. ↑ Waterworth, Sharon (2019). "Book Release -The Dragon Lady: The Courtauld Legacy Continues". National Trust of Zimbabwe. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  28. ↑ "Vanda lombokensis 'Virginia Courtauld'". RHS. London: Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  29. ↑ "Plants to which awards have been made in 1942". Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society. LXVII (January): 309–312. 1942.
  30. ↑ Ciliento, Bruno (2017). "Virginia, Il Monso Perduto". Virginia, Un mondo perduto. Scene da un matrimonio Belle Epoque di casa Spinola (in Italian). Genoa: Sagep Editori. ISBN 978-88-6373-486-7.