<description>&lt;p&gt;Virginia Oldoini considered herself the most beautiful woman of the nineteenth century. In the 1850s, a high-ranking Italian official deployed her to France on a secret mission to seduce Emperor Napoleon III for political reasons. After her stint as a spy, the Countess emerged as a poioneer of photography, leaving behind one of the most stunning bodies of photographic self-portraits of the 1800s.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;If you'd like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron at &lt;a href= "https://www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast"&gt;www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;For show notes and full transcripts, please visit &lt;a href= "https://www.artofcrimepodcast.com"&gt;www.artofcrimepodcast.com&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</description>

The Art of Crime

Gavin Whitehead

The Most Beautiful Woman of the Nineteenth Century: Countess of Castiglione (Spy vs. Spy)

JUN 3, 202646 MIN
The Art of Crime

The Most Beautiful Woman of the Nineteenth Century: Countess of Castiglione (Spy vs. Spy)

JUN 3, 202646 MIN

Description

Virginia Oldoini considered herself the most beautiful woman of the nineteenth century. In the 1850s, a high-ranking Italian official deployed her to France on a secret mission to seduce Emperor Napoleon III for political reasons. After her stint as a spy, the Countess emerged as a poioneer of photography, leaving behind one of the most stunning bodies of photographic self-portraits of the 1800s. If you'd like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast. For show notes and full transcripts, please visit www.artofcrimepodcast.com.