Gioia

Research Status: Comprehensive Last Updated: 2025-06-28 Diary Coverage: Up to 1875-10-02

Identity and Background

Gioia is a woman frequently mentioned in Marie Bashkirtseff's diary as the romantic interest or companion of the Duke of Hamilton. Her full identity is not clearly established in the diary entries, but based on Marie's descriptions, she appears to be:

• A beautiful and fashionable woman in Nice society
• Someone with enough social standing to associate with the Duke of Hamilton
• Possibly Italian, based on her name
• A rival who inspires intense jealousy in Marie

Marie's Descriptions and Observations

Marie provides limited but telling details about Gioia throughout her diary:

• On February 18, 1873, Marie notes that "Gioia had a magnificent dark red velvet dress"
• Marie believes the Duke visits Gioia's residence (February 27, 1873)
• Marie assumes Gioia has left Nice with the Duke when his yacht departs (March 4, 1873)
• Marie refers to Gioia as "she" with ellipses ("he is in Paris with......her") suggesting her reluctance to even name her rival (March 10, 1873)
• Marie fantasizes about the Duke leaving Gioia for her once she becomes famous: "He will leave Gioia for me, I am sure" (March 9, 1873)

Role in Marie's Narrative

Gioia functions primarily as:

1. Romantic Rival: She represents the obstacle between Marie and her idealized romance with the Duke 2. Object of Envy: Marie envies her beauty, her fine clothing, and most importantly, her relationship with the Duke 3. Standard for Comparison: Marie asserts "I will be better than Gioia! Yes! with God's help!" (March 9, 1873)

Marie never describes any direct interaction with Gioia. Her knowledge of the woman appears to come entirely from observation at a distance and possibly social gossip.

Marie's Perceptions of the Relationship

Marie has complex theories about the relationship between Gioia and the Duke:

• She believes the Duke is "too attached to Gioia" (February 20, 1873)
• She suggests Gioia retains the Duke "not so much with her beauty as with habit, words, a thousand artifices!" (February 20, 1873)
• Later, Marie claims the Duke doesn't truly love Gioia but keeps her as a necessary accessory: "I believe he doesn't love her, but he prefers to be free, to have a wife since it's necessary for chic, horses, a wife, pigeon shooting" (March 4, 1873)

Historical Context

The presence of women like Gioia in the social scene of Nice during the 1870s reflects several historical realities:

1. The International Elite: Nice attracted wealthy and aristocratic visitors from across Europe during the winter season 2. Social Arrangements: Aristocratic men often had companions who might be mistresses, courtesans, or women from slightly lower social ranks 3. Social Observation: The public nature of society life in resort towns meant that relationships were visible and subject to gossip and speculation

Possible Historical Identity

While Marie provides insufficient information to identify Gioia with certainty, there are several possibilities:

1. She could have been a high-society courtesan or mistress 2. She might have been a woman from the Italian aristocracy (the name Gioia is Italian) 3. She could potentially have been Lady Mary Montagu, whom the Duke of Hamilton married in 1873 (though this seems less likely given how Marie describes the relationship)

Significance in Marie's Development

Gioia represents Marie's first significant experience with romantic jealousy and rivalry. Her presence in the diary reveals:

1. Marie's competitive nature 2. Her tendency to idealize and romanticize relationships she observes from a distance 3. Her strategic thinking about how to surpass a rival (through becoming a famous singer) 4. Her class consciousness and social ambitions

When Marie develops her plan to become a celebrated singer, surpassing Gioia becomes part of her motivation: "I will be better than Gioia! Yes! with God's help!" This transformation of jealousy into ambition marks an important development in Marie's thinking.

The Audiffret Affair (Autumn 1875)

By September 1875 (carnet 045), Gioia takes on a new role in Marie's narrative. After the Duke of Hamilton's departure, Gioia takes Emile d'Audiffret as a lover — the same young man who had been courting Marie. Key details:

• Gioia lives on or near the Promenade des Anglais, in a villa with a grille (gate)
• She has at least two young children and an older woman ("la vieille") living with her
• She had a previous male companion (an Englishman) who departed just before Audiffret's arrival
• Marie describes her as tall (half a head taller than Marie), about 35, painted/made-up, beautiful when dressed up but "chiffonnée et médiocre" without toilette
• Marie calls her "cocotte" (kept woman), "rosse" (worthless), "femelle" (animal female), and "bijou de mon âme" (jewel of my soul — ironically, since "Gioia" means joy/jewel in Italian)
• Gioia begins dressing in white like Marie, provoking Marie's fury
• She has a theater box (loge) where Audiffret hides during performances
• Marie's grandfather observes the situation with disgust: "à peine l'autre est parti, elle en prend encore" (hardly has the other one left, she takes another)

This episode reveals that Gioia is definitively a courtesan/demimondaine rather than an aristocratic woman, as Marie's family discusses her openly as such.