Lina Cavalieri is a world famous Italian opera singer and the first fashion model of the second half of the 19th century. A woman who conquered all of Europe with her beauty and talent. Prince Alexander Baryatinsky and millionaire Robert Chandler, singer Lucien Muratore and race car driver Giovanni Campari were in love with her. The story of a thorny path from a beggar courtesan of the "Belle Époque" to a brilliant opera star.
Lina Cavalieri was born on December 25, 1874 in the small Italian town of Viterbo. People predicted an unusual fate for a child born on the eve of Christmas. The girl was named Natalina, which means Christmas in Italian. The family moves to Rome, where Natalina's childhood passes. Childhood was not easy and cloudless. Due to the difficult financial situation in the family, the girl cannot even dream of education. The constant lack of money forces Lina to work together with her older brothers and sisters. The girl took on any job to help the family - selling flowers, packing newspapers in a printing house, working as an assistant for a dressmaker. In moments of relaxation, she sang simple songs that interested her neighbor, a music teacher, and for the first time Lina began to seriously study singing. Lina had a singing talent, and very soon the teacher was able to recommend her as a singer in the cafe.
Singer of cafes
Finally, Lina was able to do what she loved - singing. This occupation brought a substantial income to the girl and was a pleasure. In the evenings, the crowd of noisy restaurants froze in anticipation of the next performance of a fourteen-year-old girl. Exceptional beauty combined with talent dazzled the audience. At the end of the performances, the young singer was accompanied by a roar of applause. The owners of cafes, music halls, cabarets offered Lina large fees. But this was not what interested the girl. She dreamed of a career as an opera singer. Cavalieri was not only a popular songwriter, but also a dancer. She was part of a community known as Belle Époque courtesans.
Belle Epoque face
The last decades of the 19th century can be distinguished by the rapid flowering of art, discoveries in the field of science, and the emergence of cinema. Lina Cavalieri decided not to stand aside and signed a cooperation contract with the successful photographer Emil Rutlinger. Lina's photographs and postcards were of immense popularity. A tall brunette with a charming face and an hourglass figure has become the most sought-after fashion model. Postcards with her image were sold in huge numbers. The photo diva did not allow frivolous, frivolous pictures. The main condition of her work was the observance of strictness and restraint in the image.
Petersburg love
1897 was a significant year in the life of the singer. Cavalieri received an invitation to Russia. Lina performs in St. Petersburg and Moscow. The overwhelming success exceeded all expectations. The singer conquered Russia and the heart of a nobleman, Prince Alexander Baryatinsky. The feelings of Alexander and Lina were mutual. Baryatinsky won Lina's heart and the lovers secretly got married. The high society could not come to terms with the unequal marriage of a high-born nobleman and a commoner girl. Emperor Nicholas II annulled the marriage of Baryatinsky and Cavalieri. For Lina, it was a shock, she could not be next to her beloved man, despite the money and worldwide fame. At the insistent recommendations of the emperor, Lina left Russia.
Opera singer
Lina Cavalieri's first performance on the opera stage took place in 1901. She is back in Russia. The scene of St. Petersburg brought a new upsurge in the singer's career. The part of Violetta in Giuseppe Verdi's opera La Traviata made the singer even more famous and in demand in an instant. She conquers new scenes, performs arias in a duet with opera celebrities - Fyodor Chaliapin, Enrico Caruso, Mattia Battistini.
In 1908, Lina married an American millionaire Robert Chandler. She lived with her husband for about a week, family life did not work out. The divorce took place four years later, after which Cavalieri becomes a wealthy woman. According to the marriage contract, Lina received most of the property of the millionaire.
In 1913, the singer makes a second attempt to start a family. She becomes the wife of the opera singer Lucien Muratore. A daughter, Elena, is born in the family, and Lina decides to leave the stage. Lina Cavalieri continues to lead an active life - she makes her debut in cinema, writes articles about female beauty in a women's magazine, continues to appear in commercials. Cavalieri learns about her husband's infidelities and breaks off the relationship.
Race car driver Giovanni Campari becomes her third and last husband. They lived together for six years. With the outbreak of World War II, Lina Cavalieri serves as a nurse at the front, seeing this as her mission. Cavalieri's life ended abruptly, during the bombardment of the outskirts of Florence.
The world beauty, the first fashion model and opera singer Lina Cavalieri still excites the minds and hearts of her contemporaries. A charming woman with a difficult fate. They make films about her, create literary works, paint pictures. The famous Belle Epoque personality still inspires artists, filmmakers and writers.
