Susanna Agnelli

Susanna Agnelli, Contessa Rattazzi, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMR (24 April 1922 – 15 May 2009) was an Italian politician, businesswoman and writer.

She was the first woman to be appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs in Italy.

Spouse - Count Urbano Rattazzi, Jr. (1945–1975) and 6 children

Early life

Born in Turin, she was the daughter of Edoardo Agnelli and Donna Virginia Bourbon del Monte, a daughter of the Prince di San Faustino and his Kentucky-born wife Jane Campbell. Her brother, Gianni Agnelli, was the head of Fiat until 1996; members of the Agnelli family are still the controlling shareholders of the company.

Politics

In 1974, Agnelli gained her first public appointment, when she became mayor of Monte Argentario. Her grandfather and great-grandfather had been mayors in their time. Agnelli served as mayor for a decade, from 1974-1984. The experience inspired her to enter national politics.

Agnelli was elected to the Italian Parliament in 1976 for the Italian Republican Party (PRI). In 1979, still for the PRI, she became an MEP in the European Parliament, from 1979-1981. In 1983, she returned to the Italian Parliament, becoming a senator.

The culmination of her political career was her appointment as Italy's first female Minister of Foreign Affairs, in 1995. She served for more than a year which, in the fragile politics of postwar Italy, makes her one of the most long-lasting holders of the office. It was not until 2013 that Emma Bonino became the next female incumbent of the post.

Family

In 1945 she married Count Urbano Rattazzi (1918-2012) with whom she had six children, the youngest of whom is photographer Priscilla Rattazzi. The marriage was dissolved in 1975. She divided her time between New York City and Italy and she was long a loyal fan of Robert Denning, of Denning & Fourcade, who designed over 15 homes for her in Manhattan, South America and Italy.

Autobiography

Her autobiography Vestivamo alla marinara ("We always wore sailor suits", 1983) was a bestseller in Italy.

Works

• Vestivamo alla marinara (1975)
• Gente alla deriva (1980)
• Ricordati Gualeguaychu (1982)
• Addio, addio mio ultimo amore (1985)