Countess Lily Pastré (a.k.a. Marie-Louise Double de Saint-Lambert) (1891–1974) was a French heiress and patron of the arts. She sheltered many Jewish artists in her Château Pastré in Marseille during World War II. After the war, she helped establish the Aix-en-Provence Festival, an annual opera festival in Aix-en-Provence.
Biography
Early life
Marie-Louise Double de Saint-Lambert was born in 1891 at 167 rue Paradis in Marseille.[1][2][3][4] Her father was Paul Double (1868-1935). Her paternal grandparents were Léon Double and Marie Prat (1849-1939), whose father, Claudius Prat (1814-1859), was the co-founder of Noilly Prat.[4] She was thus an heiress to the Noilly Prat vermouth fortune.[1][2][4] Her mother, Véra Magnan, was Russian.[4] Her maternal great-grandfather was Bernard Pierre Magnan, a Marshal of France.[1] Beyond the Noilly Prat fortune, her family had become large landowners thanks to the dowry systems and good marriages.[2] They were originally from Lyon before they moved to Marseille.[4]
Lily grew up in Marseille.[2] She was raised as a Roman Catholic.[2] As a child, she was an avid tennis player and swimmer, and learned how to play the piano.[2] One of her brothers, Maurice, was killed during the First World War in 1916.[2][4]
The Château Pastré, where the Countess sheltered Jewish artists during World War II and entertained.
In 1940, she established a philanthropic foundation to support the arts known as Pour que l’esprit vive (May the spirit live).[1][3][5] In particular, it was meant to support struggling artists.[5] It was headquartered on the Canebière.[4]
In 1948, she helped establish the Aix-en-Provence Festival, an annual opera festival in Aix-en-Provence, by covering the entire costs.[1][2][4] She hired Hans Rosbaud as well as a German orchestra, even though it was only three years after the war.[2][3] She also hired the pianists Clara Haskil and Jean Doyen, the soprano Maria Stader, and the Quartetto Italiano.[3] However, by 1949, she stopped serving on the Board of Trustees of the festival, due to disagreements with the President of the festival, Gabriel Dussurget, who wanted the festival to become more professional.[2][3]
She donated a parcel of land next to her Château Pastré to Emmaüs, a Catholic organization for the homeless.[2]
Personal life
In 1918, she married Count Jean Pastré, an aristocrat and polo player who went on to play polo at the 1924 Summer Olympics.[1][2] She received the title "Countess" via her marriage.[1] They had three children: Nadia, Nicole and Pierre.[1][2] They resided in Paris and summered at the Château Pastré in Marseille.[1] They divorced in 1940, and she was given the château, keeping her aristocratic title.[2]
After her death, her son Pierre resided in the Château Pastré.[2] He later donated it to the City of Marseille, where it became home to the Musée de la Faïence de Marseille.[2]
