Virginia Oldoini—known better to history as the Countess of Castiglione—was mad, bad, and dangerous to know.
Oldoini’s beauty made jaws drop—but no one realized that her elegant face hid a twisted mind. Vain to her core, the countess actively spurned the company of other women, often refusing to even talk to them while she was at balls. Instead, she preferred to stand in the middle of the room and let men fawn over her “as if she were a shrine”.
The Italian aristocrat’s legendary beauty and photographic misadventures turned her into the world’s first model, but that’s not what made her infamous. From her bedroom exploits to her tragic downfall, the Countess of Castiglione is one historical figure worth knowing.
