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LA CASTIGLIONE c1863

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Virginia Oldoini, the Countess of Castiglione, was an Italian aristocrat who rose to fame as a mistress of Emperor Napoleon III of France. Married at 17 to the Count of Castiglione, she was sent to France to request the aid of the emperor in Italian unification – becoming his mistress in the process. Considered one of the great beauties of the era, Oldoini’s greatest love affair was with photography: she sat for hundreds of photographs, including some with her legs bare, which was considered rather risqué for the time. Oldoini was intrigued by her own beauty and would often direct the images herself, ensuring they depicted the defining moments of her life. Though she was not a photographer, Oldoini is often credited with creating the ‘selfie’.

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BBC History Revealed Magazine
January 2021
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