SECRET ARCHIVES OF A COUNTESS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3383, 18 July 1927, Page 7

SECRET ARCHIVES OF A COUNTESS.

Italy has lost her “Mine, de Thebes,” in the person of “Countess Aurelia,” the famous fortune-teller and popular figure of Roman life, who lias died, aged 70, after a short illness. “Countess Aurelia,” like the famous French “prophetess,” published at the beginning of each year her previsions in a popular almanac. Her fascinating personality attracted to her- “consulting cabinet” not only the unsophisticated, but many prominent people. Politicians, artists, and business men were known to seek her advice in difficult moments of their life. The “countess” was an intelligent and ambitious woman, and lilted to learn secrets and details concerning the career of her clients, and during the many years of her life in Borne sho collected a secret archive of documents, or copies of documents, sometimes of great importance, which weir© brought to her by people seeking advice in difficult situations. Many documents concerned not only private people, but also political affairs and intrigues, and after the death of the “prophetess” her house was sealed by the police, who feared that compromising material might fall into the hands of unscrupulous persons. “Countess Aurelia” was a real countess. She was married to Count Gabvielli, of Leghorn. When her husband died she went to Paris, where she became initiated by a famous French palmist into tire secrets of the profession. Then she came to Rome and opened her “Cabinet of Occult Science,’ which was a curiosity in itself. There were first numerous small waiting rooms so tliat “distinguished visitors” might wait tor their turn unseen by others. The cabinet was a place of shivers with black velvet hangings, black tapestry, shelves full of glass jars with objects indispensable to _ “occult science.”., a stulfed owl with phosphorescent eyes, human skulls scattered here and here, and a black flag between two heavy silver chandeliers, to which she attributed terrible and miraculous forces. The “prophetess” seated herself on a. throne with the solemnity of an empress to receive her visitors, and her fame became widespread after her public prophecy of the death of the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph. She gained not only fame, but also riches. She is believed to have left a considerable fortune, apart from the splendid jewels, valued at £40,000. which she wore whenever she appeared in public.