Pompilj, Vittoria Aganoor (1855–1910)

Italian poet. Name variations: Vittoria Pompili. Born Vittoria Aganoor in Padua, Italy, in 1855; died in Umbria on April 9, 1910; daughter of Count Edoardo Aganoor and Giuseppina Pacini; sister of Elena Aganoor ; married Guido Pompilj, in 1901; no children.

Selected works:

Leggenda eterna (Eternal Legend, 1900); Nuovo liriche (New Lyrics, 1908).

The youngest of seven daughters, Vittoria Aganoor Pompilj was born in 1855 into a noble Armenian family living in Italy. Her father Count Edoardo Aganoor had arrived in Italy as a young man, after traveling around Europe and Asia with his family. The count was restless and experienced extreme mood swings. He had come to idealize his former life in India and was most at peace when he told his children long, detailed stories about the country. Even though they feared him, Edoardo's children spent hours listening at his feet, and his stories profoundly influenced Vittoria. Her mother Giuseppina Pacini Aganoor , who tended to most of the family and household business, was a more stablizing presence for the children. Recognizing her daughters' interest in writing, she hired the poet Giacomo Zanella to be their tutor. He worked with the Aganoor children from 1863 to 1872, and was the first to call attention to the poetry of Vittoria and her sister Elena.

Attractive but withdrawn, Vittoria had great difficulty revealing herself or her work. Her wealthy aristocratic family moved in conventional circles and her romantic attachments often proved disastrous, because her chosen suitors were of inappropriate social or economic status. Guided by her mother's example, Vittoria forfeited her social and writing life to care for her family, particularly her mother and a sister who were invalids as she grew into middle age. When Vittoria was 43 years old, her mother died. For months thereafter, Vittoria experienced a deep depression, out of which came a renewed determination. She published her first volume of poetry, Eternal Legend, in 1900 and dedicated it to her mother. In 1901, after a brief courtship, she married Guido Pompilj of Umbria, a noble and parliamentarian, and the two moved to his homeland. Guido was in many ways similar to Edoardo in temperament. Vittoria tended to their home and properties in Umbria, while he rose politically, first to secretary of finance, and later to secretary of foreign affairs. He considered her a savior of his tormented life.

Vittoria's poetry was critically praised, and in 1908 she published her second collection, New Lyrical Pieces. Just as she was beginning to experience success, Vittoria died of cancer. Within hours, Guido took his own life with a gun.

Crista Martin , Boston, Massachusetts