The exclusive world of one of the twentieth century's most glamorous and allurin
g women, as seen through her private homes and gardens. Nicknamed "The Swan" by
Richard Avedon when he photographed her iconic portrait in 1953, Marella Agnelli
is not only one of the great beauties of the last century, but also the most el
egant and cultured of that exclusive club. Born the Neapolitan princess Marella
Caracciolo di Castagneto, she became Marella Agnelli with her marriage to Gianni
Agnelli, the Fiat industrialist. However, her innate style dates back to her Ne
w York internship with photographer Erwin Blumenfeld, and she was a Vogue contri
butor in the 1950s and '60s as well as appearing in its pages. One of the most p
hotographed women of the jet-set society, she was captured by Avedon as well as
Irving Penn, Henry Clarke, Horst, and Robert Doisneau, among others. Agnelli col
laborated with the best artists and designers of her day, with her many residenc
es as their palette. From Italian interior design legend Renzo Mongiardino--who
worked on her New York apartment alongside a young Peter Marino--to Gae Aulenti,
the important Italian architect, who built her homes in Turin and Marrakech, Ag
nelli created a series of extraordinary houses and gardens, full of timeless ele
gance, invaluable art, and groundbreaking decorating ideas. With ten residences
spread throughout Turin, Rome, Milan, New York, St. Moritz, and Marrakech, rangi
ng from regally classic villas to ultramodern apartments, her impeccable taste s
hines through in these gorgeous interiors and gardens. One of the famous modern
fairy tales of love, glamour, and heartbreak, Marella Agnelli has become an icon
of our times.
