Jeanne de Flandreysy, born Jeanne Mellier (11 July 1874 – 15 May 1959) was a French author and literary critic. She was the author of many books about Provence, and she promoted Franco-Italian cultural exchanges.
Early life Jeanne de Flandreysy began her literary and journalistic career at a very young age. Born into a well-established family from the Drôme region, she developed an interest in Provençal culture alongside her father, the archaeologist Étienne Mellier, and her mother, Marie-Louise de Ladreyt, and wrote several books on the region. At the time, women had no rights, unless they were widows so, in 1899, she invented a marriage to a Scottish gentleman of French origin, Aymar de Flandreysy, which quickly resulted in her being widowed as a result of a hunting accident (or a shipwreck, according to other sources).
Career As a "widow", de Flandreysy began her career as a contributor to La Revue Dauphinoise. She was a literary critic for Le Figaro from 1904 to 1910.
De Flandreysy was an author. She was close to the Félibrige, and some of her books were prefaced by them. For example, her 1903 book entitled La Vénus d'Arles et le Museon Arlaten was prefaced by Frédéric Mistral, while her 1924 book entitled La maison de Baroncelli en Italie du Xe au XVe siècle was prefaced by Charles Maurras. Meanwhile, her 1943 poetry collection was prefaced by Folco de Baroncelli-Javon. In 1958, she translated poems in Provençal about Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer composed by Baroncelli-Javon and Mistral into French.
De Flandreysy was a significant collector of books and manuscripts about Provence and Italy. She was a member of the Comité France-Italie. With Jules Charles-Roux, she helped Frédéric Mistral establish a gallery with statues from the Antiquity found on the grounds of the Museon Arlaten. She was also the co-founder of the Musée-bibliothèque François Pétrarque in Fontaine-de-Vaucluse in 1927.
De Flandreysy became a Knight of the Legion of Honour in 1953.
Personal life
De Flandreysy purchased the Palais du Roure, a hôtel particulier in Avignon in 1918. Having met Benito Mussolini twice, she hung his portrait above the chimney in her lounge.
De Flandreysy married Émile Espérandieu, an archaeologist and epigrapher, on 8 September 1936.
Death and legacy De Flandreysy died on 15 May 1959 in Avignon.
De Flandreysy bequeathed her Palais du Roure to the town of Avignon; it was renamed the Institut méditerranéen du palais du Roure, run by Aix-Marseille University.
The Espace Jeanne de Flandreysy in Valence was named in her honour.
Works
Posthumously
Further reading
References