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1861 - Eugenia's Birth

1861 (Eugenia's Birth) - Eugenia Ruspoli (nee Jennie Enfield Berry) is born on October 19th to Frances Rhea and Thomas Berry on the family's Turkey Town Plantation in Etowah County, Alabama.

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Date: 1861-01-01

1870 - Berry Family Moves to Georgia

Jennie is the oldest of eight children and is raised at the family's home in Oak Hill, GA. Her father works as a grocery wholesaler and seller of cotton before he eventually enlists in the Confederate Alabama Infantry.

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Date: 1870-01-01

1889 - Eugenia's First Marriage

She marries Irish tobacco manufacturer, Henry Bruton on May 7th in Nashville, Tennessee.

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Date: 1889-01-01

1892 - Death of First Husband

Bruton dies on December 5th of "outer colitis" in Nashville, Tennessee, leaving his entire fortune to Jennie.

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Date: 1892-01-01

1901 - Eugenia Weds Italian Prince

At the age of 40, Jennie marries the 23-year old Italian noble Don Enrico Ruspoli on March 2nd, in Washington D.C., by Monsignor Martinelli, the Papal Delegate to the Unites States. Through marriage she becomes an Italian citizen and changes her name and title to "Princess" Eugenia Ruspoli. The couple moves to Italy and rents an apartment in Rome.

New York Times Article

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Date: 1901-01-01

1902 - Eugenia Purchases Nemi Castle

1902 (Eugenia Purchases Nemi Castle) - Eugenia purchases a Castle in Nemi (a town just outside of Rome) from the Orsini family with her own funds, but the title is filed under her husband's name. She and her husband help to restore the Castle and it's grounds. Eugenia continues to collect art, purchasing objects in Italy, France and other European countries.

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Date: 1902-01-01

1909 - Death of Second Husband

1909 (Death of Second Husband) - She becomes a widow for a second time when Don Ruspoli dies on December 4th. She later learns that her husband left most of his property including the Castle and its contents to his family and enters a legal battle with the family in order to obtain the rights to her marital property.

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Date: 1909-01-01

1910 - Attempted Assault on Eugenia

1910 (Attempted Assault on Eugenia) - Eugenia is attacked by a man named Travaglini who attempted to enter her bedroom in the Castle of Nemi and assault her with a hatchet in January. Travaglini was apprehended by servants before he could harm her and then later arrested by police. The reason for the attack is unknown, but a newspaper article suggests that it is a result of the marital property battle.

Full Article

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Date: 1910-01-01

1913 - Eugenia Engaged

1913 (Eugenia Engaged)- Eugenia becomes engaged to "poor" Prince Orsini in April.

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Date: 1913-01-01

1916 - Eugenia Wins Title to Castle

1916 (Eugenia Wins Title to Castle)- Eugenia's legal problems with Ruspoli's will are resolved and she acquires their marital property.

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Date: 1916-01-01

1918 - Eugenia's Art Collection

1918 (Eugenia's Art Collection) - She buys the polyptych, Cenni di Francesco di Ser Cenni, from Marchese della Stufa of Florence, Italy. The polyptych is later sold by Eugenia's niece to the J. Getty Museum through French and Company in 1971.

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Date: 1918-01-01

1923 - Birth of Alexis Droutzkoy

1923 (Birth of Alexis Droutzkoy) - Eugenia's niece Alexis Droutzkoy (nee Maria Theresa Berry) is born in Norwich, England on June 26th.

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Date: 1923-01-01

1929 - Eugenia Adopts her Niece

1929 (Eugenia Adopts her Niece) - Eugenia adopts her niece Maria Theresa in Surrogate Court NYC on April 2nd.

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Date: 1929-01-01

1931 - Philanthropic Donation

1931 (Philanthropic Donation)- She donates Correggio's Il Giorno to Father Joseph Cassidy of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Rome, GA. Eugenia continues to furnish the Castle at Nemi as well as her estate in Connecticut and her apartment in New York City.

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Date: 1931-01-01

1937 to 1939 - Eugenia Flees Before the War

1937-1939 (Eugenia Flees Before the War) - Before the outbreak of World War Two, Eugenia begins to periodically ship artworks from her collection back to the United States before she eventually returned to the U.S., avoiding the turmoil of the War. Many of these artworks ended up in New York City while others found there way to Rome, Georgia where Eugenia's family resided. A portion of her once vast collection can still be seen at Berry College's Martha Berry Museum at Oak Hill (named after Eugenia's sister). There is a curious account of a young Nazi soldier personally taking the Cortona as well as other paintings from the castle to Rome (after supposedly realizing that they were being vandalized) and anonymously depositing them at Villa Borghese where they were then taken to the Roman villa of the Ruspoli before being shipped to the United States. Further research is needed to confirm this tale.

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Date: 1937-01-01

1938 - Growth of Eugenia's At Collection

1902-1938 (Growth of Eugenia's At Collection) - It is assumed that Eugenia purchases Villanova University's Triumph of David around this time period and moves it into the Castle (archival inventories left behind by the former owners, the Orsini family, do not account for the presence of the large painting).

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Date: 1938-01-01

World War II

1942 (Nazi Occupation of Nemi) - The Castle of Nemi is "requisitioned" by the Italian government and "turned over" to the German Luftwaffe.

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Date: 1942-01-01

1942 - Nazi Occupation of Nemi

1942 (Nazi Occupation of Nemi) - The Castle of Nemi is "requisitioned" by the Italian government and "turned over" to the German Luftwaffe.

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Date: 1942-01-01

1944 - Damage to Nemi Castle

1944 (Damage to Nemi Castle) - On May 31, 1944, Allied forces bombed the town of Nemi, driving out the Nazi forces. Unfortunately the foundation of the Castle suffered extensive damages as well as the nearby Museo delle Navi Romane.

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Date: 1944-01-01

1944 - Eugenia's Niece Weds Russian Prince

1944 (Eugenia's Niece Weds Russian Prince)- On December 16th, Eugenia's niece Maria Theresa marries Russian Prince Alexis Alexander Droutzkoy at St. Patrick's Cathedral in NYC and becomes Princess Alexis Droutzkoy.

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Date: 1944-01-01