Micaela Almonester, Baroness de Pontalba
Micaela Almonester, Baroness de Pontalba | |
|---|---|
Portrait of Micaela Almonester, Baroness de Pontalba in the Louisiana State Museum | |
| Born | Micaela Leonarda Antonia de Almonester Roxas y de la Ronde November 6, 1795 |
| Died | 20 April 1874 (aged 78) |
| Nationality | Spanish (by birth) French (by marriage) American (upon Louisiana's admission to Union) |
| Occupation(s) | Businesswoman Real estate developer Lay architect |
| Known for | The design and construction of the Pontalba Buildings in the French Quarter of New Orleans |
| Spouse(s) |
Xavier Célestin Delfau de Pontalba, Baron de Pontalba
(m. 1811–1874) |
| Children | Joseph Delfau de Pontalba Célestin Delfau de Pontalba Alfred Delfau de Pontalba Gaston Delfau de Pontalba Mathilde Delfau de Pontalba |
| Parent(s) | Andrés Almonester y Rojas Louise Denys de La Ronde |
Micaela Leonarda Antonia de Almonester Rojas y de la Ronde, Baroness de Pontalba (November 6, 1795 – April 20, 1874) was a wealthy New Orleans-born Creole aristocrat, businesswoman, and real estate designer and developer, one of the most memorable and dynamic personalities in the city's history, though she lived most of her life in Paris.
On April 26, 1798, when she was just 2+1⁄2 years old, her father Don Andrés Almonester y Rojas died, leaving her the sole heir to a considerable fortune. In 1811 Micaela married her French cousin, Joseph-Xavier Célestin Delfau de Pontalba, and moved to France. The marriage was not successful and she became a virtual prisoner at the de Pontalba chateau in Mont-l'Évêque, near Senlis. Her father-in-law, Baron de Pontalba, tried to gain possession of Micaela's inheritance for more than twenty years. In 1834 he shot her four times at point-blank range and then committed suicide. She survived the attack, though mutilated. Her husband succeeded his father as baron, and Micaela was thereafter styled Baroness de Pontalba. She eventually obtained a legal separation from her husband.
Micaela was responsible for the design and construction of the landmark Pontalba Buildings in Jackson Square, in the heart of the French Quarter. In 1855, she had the Hôtel de Pontalba constructed in Paris, and she lived there until her death.
The 2003 opera Pontalba: a Louisiana Legacy, composed by Thea Musgrave, is based on her life. She is also the subject of a play by Diana E.H. Shortes entitled The Baroness Undressed and several novels.