Daughter of a former aide - de - camp of Masséna in 1799, Agathe-Sophie Sasserno composed her first poem, the Old Soldier, at the age of 14 years, for her father who had become blind. She remained unmarried and dedicated herself to poetry. She published several collections, Sylphides ( 1838 ), Haute Combe ( 1844 ), Ore meste, songs on Italy ( 1846 ), Glorie and sventure, songs on the war of Italian independence ( 1852 ) in which she evoked Anita Garibaldi, Flowers and smiles ( 1856 ), French Poetries of an Italian, introduced by Sainte-Beuve. Agathe - Sophie who corresponded with Alexandre Dumas, Chateaubriand, Victor Hugo, Lamartine, (who clearly influenced her), embodied romanticism with her lyricism, her effusions, her quest for unsatiated sharing. She also sang " Nice, ô sweet native ground, ô my so beautiful Nice". Expressing herself in French, she wanted to be Italian, faithful to the princes of Savoy, and she flared up for the cause of transalpine unity. She died one week before the official attachment of the County to France.
Derot M. : Agathe-Sophie Sasserno, la Sapho niçoise, Nice Historique, 1980.
Fighiera Charles-Alexandre & Hildesheimer Ernest : A propos d'Agathe-Sophie Sasserno, Nice Historique, 1980.
Ralph SCHOR
