Elvina Pallavicini

Who is Elvina Pallavicini?

Princess Elvina Pallavicini was an Italian noblewoman, member of the Pallavicini family, part of, and often considered the leader of, the so-called Black Nobility in Rome during the second half of 20th century.

She was born in Genoa on January 22, 1914 as Elvina dei Medici del Vascello, daughter of Giacomo dei Marchesi Medici del Vascello and his wife, née Olga Leumann. In 1939 she married Guglielmo Marius Hubert Marie de Pierre de Bernis de Courtavel, who in 1937 was made prince Pallavicini. The prince was a military pilot in the Regia Aeronautica and became Missing in action on August 1, 1940 after an air fight over the Mediterranean.

The spouses' only daughter, Maria Camilla, was born after his death. Maria Camilla married, and later divorced, the grandson of Armando Diaz della Vittoria. During the Nazi occupation of Rome after the Armistice between Italy and Allied armed forces, princess Pallavicini supported Italian Royalist partisans and was later awarded bronze medal of military valor for that.

Starting from 1977, princess Elvina Pallavicini led a group of Black Nobility that provided support for Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. She was also actively involved in politics, in particular, supporting the policies of the US Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.