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| Olympe
Pélissier
(1799–1878) Other names: Olympe-Louise-Alexandrine Descuilliers Biographical Born out of wedlock, Olympe later took the surname of her mother's husband, Joseph Pélissier. Her mother, a minor actress, entrusted her to the care of aristocrats who could support her in high society. Olympe later became a dancer and then a salonnière. Intellectually lively and with a sharp sense of business, she quickly showed a preference for artists and intellectuals. Her salon was located at 23, rue de La Rochefoucauld, and was frequented by many cultural elites. Her personal wealth soon grew from the income generated by admirers and investments she managed with skill. Olympe had an affair with the painter Horace Vernet, for whom she modelled, as well as with Eugène Sue and Balzac, who hailed her as ‘the most beautiful courtesan in Paris.’ Her persona inspired the character of Fedora in his 1831 novel La Peau de chagrin. She met Rossini and his wife, Isabella Colbran, and he later composed the cantata Giovanna d’Arco for her, after which she became his lover, sparking scandal. Olympe still maintained close ties with Balzac in the early 1830s. In 1836, she joined Rossini in Bologna, but after contracting gonorrhoea, her role shifted to that of a nurse. During the winter of 1837–38, they resided in Milan, where they became friends with Franz Liszt. They travelled to Paris in 1845 for Rossini’s medical treatment, marrying in 1846. After time spent in Bologna and Florence, the couple settled in Paris in 1855. Upon Rossini’s death, Olympe inherited his estate, which passed to the municipality of Pesaro upon her own death, leading to the establishment of the Liceo Musicale in 1882. Due to the controversial nature of their relationship, she was denied permission to be buried alongside Rossini at the Santa Croce in Florence. Place of marriage: Paris Place of death: Paris Place of burial: Père-Lachaise Illegitimate daughter of Marie-Adélaïde Descuilliers and an unknown man, she married Gioachino Rossini in 1846. |
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