Hélène Vacaresco
| Elena Văcărescu | |
|---|---|
Elena Văcărescu as delegate to the League of Nations in 1936
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| Native name | Elena Văcărescu |
| Born | Elena Văcărescu September 21, 1864 Bucharest, United Principalities |
| Died | February 17, 1947 (aged 82) Paris, France |
| Resting place | Bellu cemetery, Bucharest |
| Occupation | Poet, writer, memoirist, novelist, playwright, translator |
| Language | French |
| Nationality | Romanian |
| Genres | Memoir, poetry |
| Notable works | Chants d'Aurore, Le Rhapsode de la Dâmbovița |
| Notable awards | French Academy Award |
| Relatives | Ioan Văcărescu (father) Eufrosina Fălcoianu (mother) |
Elena Văcărescu or Hélène Vacaresco (September 21, 1864 in Bucharest – February 17, 1947 in Paris) was a Romanian-French aristocrat writer, twice a laureate of the Académie française.
Through her father, Ioan Văcărescu, she descended from a long line of boyars of Wallachia (the Văcărescu family), including Ienăchiță Văcărescu, the poet who wrote the first Romanian grammar. She was also a granddaughter of Romanian poet Iancu Văcărescu. Through her mother, Eufrosina Fălcoianu, she descended from the Fălcoianu family, a prominent clan in the times of Prince Michael the Brave.
She spent most of her youth on the Văcărescu estate near Târgovişte. Elena first got acquainted with the English literature through her English governess, Miss Allan. She also studied French literature in Paris, where she met Victor Hugo, whom she later mentioned in her memoirs. She attended courses of philosophy, aesthetics and history, and also studied poetry under the guidance of Sully Prudhomme.
Another influence on her early life was the Russo-Turkish War, 1877-1878 that also involved Romania – the country declared independence from the Ottoman Empire, and joined Imperial Russia's camp. Elena's father fought in the war, experience which influenced her first book (published in 1886).
The meeting that changed her life was that with Elisabeth of Wied, Queen of Romania, wife of King Carol I. The Queen invited her to the palace in 1888. Interested in Elena Văcărescu's literary achievements, she became much more interested in the person of the poet. Having not yet recovered from the death of her only daughter in 1874, Elizabeth transferred all her maternal love to Elena.
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