Juliette Benzoni

Personal life

Juliette Benzoni's maiden name was Andrée-Marguerite–Juliette Mangin. She was the daughter of Marie-Susanne Arnold (with Alsace and Swiss Switzerland origin) and Charles-Hubert Mangin. She grew up in an upper-middle-class family in Paris. At the age of nine she discovered in a book Joan of Arc, at the stake and that was the moment her passion for history was awakened. It was her father who persuaded her to read the books of Alexander Dumas as she told 2002 the Magazine Littéraire for the two hundred anniversary of that famous author.

It was my father who, one fine day, put the Three Musketeers into my hands, saying that it should please me. Being himself a bit of Alexander Dumas and regretting a little that I was not a boy... (C'est mon père qui, un beau jour, m'a mis dans les mains "Les Trois Mousquetaires" en disant que cela devrait me plaire. Etant lui-même un mordu d'Alexandre Dumas et regrettant un peu je ne sois pas un garçon, il y avait là une sorte de mise en demeure…)

Juliette Benzoni was educated at the Lycée Fenelon, College d'Hulst and the Institut Catholique Paris. She studied philosophy, law and literature.

She married in 1941 Maurice Gallois, a doctor and they moved to Dijon where she became the mother of two children. During that time she studied the history of Burgundy and stumbled on the Order of the Golden Fleece which inspired her later for the seven Catherine Novels In 1950 her husband died of a heart attack, leaving her a widow at the age of 30 with two little children. She went to Morocco to visit some relatives of her late husband and found work at a radio station.

In Morocco she met her future husband a young French officer, Count André Benzoni di Conza born in Corsica, they married a few weeks before he was assigned to leave for Indochina to join his regiment. Because of the unstable situation in Morocco at that time, her husband wished that she return to France. In 1953 she went to live in the Parisian suburb of Saint-Mandé, of which her husband would become later deputy mayor Yet times were hard and she had to look for work - and so her career as journalist and author was launched.

In 1982 fate blew her another stroke, her husband André Benzoni died, which made her the second time a widow. In January 1985 her son Jean-François Gallois died on a heart-attack just like his father Maurice Gallois. It was the only time the author suffered a Writers' block while working on the first adventures of Le boiteux de Varsovie.

She lived in a beautiful Second Empire mansion with her daughter Anne Gallois. She went for long walks with her dog in the Bois de Vincennes and could be seen to visit her favourite library Monaco in Saint-Mandé. Her house was full of books from the cellar up to the first floor – not only Literary encylopaedia, History books, travel guides but also a collection of Agatha Christie's, Anne Perry, or Ken Follet. She travelled widely, and enjoyed gardening and cooking for her family and her guests.

Career

Returning to Paris from Morocco in 1953, Benzoni started to work as a journalist and writing historical articles at Journal du Dimanche and Histoire pour tous. Under the pseudonym Juliette Jansen she interviewed such international celebrities like Erich von Stroheim, Jean Cocteau, Jean Marais (The Beauty and the Beast) directed by Jean Cocteau),Charles Trenet (Composer of the song La Mer) and Maurice Chevalier (singer and actor).

In 1959 she participated at the popular television Quiz Show Le Gros Lot (in Association with the National Lottery in France). The topic was the Italian Renaissance, subject Catherina Sforza. She floundered on the second last question – but the next day she was summoned to the head office to see Gérald Gauthier, director of the Press Agency at Opéra Mundi. He had been so impressed by her historical knowledge that he asked her if she could write a historical novel in the same style as the Angelique series written by Anne Golon which Opéra Mundi had published with great succes in 1956. Benzoni agreed and said she had an idea – the legend of the Golden Fleece. She started to write 1'100 pages about a golden-haired girl at the time of the Hundred Years' War.

Catherine was released in 1962 as a cliffhanger in the daily newspaper France-Soir called: Il suffit d'un amour (English: One Love is Enough). The book was not yet published when ten foreign publishing houses bought the rights for Catherine. In 1963 newspaper Le Figaro: wrote: “before the book was even published it beats all records: it is already sold to ten different countries”. France-Soir confirmed: “it has an unprecedented destiny in the history of publishing...” On 10 June 1964 Le Provençal wrote: “A heroine – who takes place – alongside of Scarlett O'Hara and of The Marquise of the Angels” (Angélique).

The Catherine Novels, were immediately a huge worldwide success. Yet Il suffit d'un amour, had not been her first book. Editions Trévise had already 1962 published two books (collection of short stories) of Benzoni La Reines tragiques and Aventuries du passé. But it was the Catherine Novels which really launched her career as a bestseller author.

In August 1964 Benzoni was invited to a Cocktail party in London by Heinemann Ltd to introduce to the Press Catherine „One Love is Enough“ There followed an interview with BBC radio reporter Leigh Crutchley introducing the Countess "Juliette Benzoni di Conza" to the English Press. To this day there can be found at least thirty countries where the story of Catherine Legoix, daughter of a Parisian goldsmith and Arnaud de Montsalvy, Captain in the army of Charles VII was published.

The enormous success had inspired the author to continue writing . There followed seventeen historical series (sixty-five books), a collection of eighteen short story Novels, three unique Novels – all in all eighty-six books. For her researches Benzoni was often seen at the local library Monaco in Saint-Mandé. She travelled all over the world to visit on locaction castle's, museums, monastery, libraries and villages for her work. Sometimes it was enough to see in a museum a painting to inspire her for a new story. She never kept a computer. Each morning at six-thirty she got up and started writing on her old electric typewriter and wrote three pages – never missing a day, even on Sundays.

From time to time she appeared on television invited to introduce one of her new books or asked to give an interview at a radio station.

In 1965 a song was composed by Paul Amar, text by J. Benzoni, called: „Catherine, il suffit d'un amour“, presented first by Michèle Arnaud and later Bernard Stéphane.

She met many important historians, nobility, authors, professors, directors and entertainers. The great French historian Alain Decaux was an open admirer of Benzoni – as she was of him. In her book "Par le Fer ou le Poison", published in 1973 by Plon, he writes in his preface:

You are a great admirer of Alexander Dumas. "You see in him your Master". You follow the same road as he does: You help the French love History.

(Vous êtes une grande admiratrice d’Alexandre Dumas. Vous voyez en lui votre maître. Vous suivez la même voie que lui: vous aidez à faire aimer l’histoire aux Français)

One of the secrets of Benzoni's success as a Romancière consisted of the fact that the plots and historical facts in her Novels were leak-proof.

The 40th American President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy sent her a letter from the White House, after they had read her first novel of the "Le Gerfaut series" (English title: The Lure of the Falcon) This letter was very precious to Benzoni as is mentioned in many of the article's concerning her career.

From the beginning of her writing career the author had a faithful readership who looked forward to each new publication. Her novels were published by acclaimed Publishing houses in France and many foreign countries. In some of the castle's in France, one will find her series of Le Roman des Châteaux de France, with a foreword by noted Stéphane Bern, journalist and moderator. Benzoni narrates for the reader the life of famous historic characters who lived in these castle's in her inimitable way.

Unfortunately the English readers and many of those other countries who had translated Benzoni's earlier works, were not so fortunate to read Benzoni's other historical novels or Mystery novels (The Aldo Morosini adventures). Whatever the reason... they did not know that there existed other magnificent series.

Catherine Novels

"You see this here"? said Gérald Gauthier to me with a great and dramatic gesture, these are the "press-maps" of Angélique. I promise you the same glory and succes. And now off with you to work! (Vous voyez ça? m'a dit Gérald Gauthier dans un grand geste dramatique, ce sont les "press-books" d'Angélique. Je vous en promets autant, même gloire et même succès. Et maintenant au travail)

After the fulminant start of ‘Catherine’ before even the book was available in the bookstores, it continued its brilliant sales success all over the World. Next to Great Brittain the American market also published with enormous success Benzoni's series back in 1967 with different book covers and different titles. Their headline said: Juliette Benzoni's Belle Catherine – A ravishing heroine in the full-blooded tradition of Désirée and Angélique. Yet just like the English publisher Heinemann Ltd, Avon Books also never translated the seventh book La Dame de Montsalvy.

The readers were left with a cliffhanger, not knowing the destiny of Catherine. The list would be long to add all the countries who for some unknown reasons never translated not just the seventh book, but also the sixth: A Snare for Catherine. To be fair, when all is said and done Catherine and a Time for love had ended in 1968 with an epiloque. The last two books were written years later, 1973 and 1979 – demanded by her readers who looked forward to new adventures about the Countess of Montsalvy and her impulsive husband Captain Arnaud de Montsalvy. During the shooting of the television series Catherine, il suffit d'un amour 1985 Benzoni visited the set a couple of times, and said in an interview 1985 about her first great success Catherine:

“I have a weakness for Catherine, because she was the first of my heroines, and also because its history, I invented, while "Marianne, a star for Napoleon", was an order by my publisher for the occasion of the bicentenary of Emperor Napoleon ..."

(J'ai un faible pour Catherine, parce qu'elle est la première de mes héroïnes, et aussi parce que son histoire, j'ai inventée, alors que Marianne une étoile pour Napoléon, c'est une commande qui me fut faite à l'occasion de bicentenaire de l'Empereur)

Reissuing of the Catherine series

In 2014 The English Publishing house Telos Publishing bought the rights from Benzoni to re-issue the Catherine Series which included the never before translated seventh book La Dame de Montsalvy, which will be titled The Lady of Montsalvy. Since March 2015, more than fifty years later, four of the seven Catherine novels are again on the market, to be continued soon. Telos Publishing announced on their official website that this time the Catherine Novels would be unabbreviated! The artwork of the new Catherine covers was created by professional storyboard and concept artist Martin Baines.

The Aldo Morosini Adventures

In the Nineties, the Romancière had created a new hero, Venetian Prince, Aldo Morosini a kind of Simon Templar, his “Highness Aldo Morosini” expert on historic precious stones. The origination of the Aldo Morosini Novels is unique, as we learn from the author herself in her foreword in the Novel Les Treize Vents (English: The thirteen Winds). She was asked by a famous French actor to write a script for an adventure story for a television series, with him in the leading role. The only condition he made: it should play in modern times and in Venice.

A brief summary of the beginning...

The story begins in 1918, when the young Aldo Morosini (son of a Venetian Prince and French Princess) returns home from World War 1 to Venice, to his fathers Palace at the Grand Canal, to find his Mother murdered and the family heirloom the blue Saphire called L'Étoile Bleue (English title: The Blue Star) stolen. He decides not to inform the police, but to search the thief-murderer himself.

Left without any money, in fear of losing his family home, he is forced to work and chooses to be an antiquarian, specialist on precious and ancient stones, instead of marrying a rich wife as is suggested to him by the family lawyer. The pursuit after the stones and murderer leads him to many foreign countries, like Paris, Zurich, Vienna, London, Warsaw, Seville, Prague, Jerusalem, Cairo and even as far as the United States. With the legendary Orient Express (Simplon-Orient Express), he commutes back and forth between Venice and Paris.

While in Paris, he resides in Rue Alfred-de-Vigny near the Parc Monceau at the second-Empire villa of his great-aunt the marchioness Amélie de Sommières. During his many adventures, Morosini is supported by the young and quick-witted blonde archaeologist Adalbert Vidal-Pellicorne, whom he meets under "amusing" circumstances - and who’s driving skills with his red Roadster (automobile) Amilcar (open racing car) provides additional suspense.

What first started to be a series of four novels, each titled after a world-famous precious stone, became another of the author's unquestionably great success, besides the Catherine series. Not just the female readers but also the male devoured the Novels.

The adventures of the dashing Aldo Morosini kept Benzoni's readers not just in France spellbound. The books were translated in Hungary, Portugal, Spain, Russia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Greece and Poland . Due to its success, the author started in between other novels to write regularly a new adventure of her favourite hero, of whom she once said in an Interview 2010

If you had a wish free, which of the fictive characters you created so far, or which personality would you like to be for a day? Without doubt the Marquise de Sommières, for the pleasure to live among people completely according to my heart. I would love to have Aldo Morosini as a nephew!

(Si vous pouviez faire ce vœu, lequel de vos personnages fictifs ou quel personnage réel voudriez-vous être pour une journée? Sans hésiter la marquise de Sommières, pour le plaisir d’évoluer parmi des gens tout à fait selon mon cœur. J’adorerais avoir Aldo Morosini comme neveu !)

Even though these excellent and suspenseful novels – also with romantic adventures by the handsome hero, were such an outstanding success, no publisher from England, Germany or Italy ever approached Benzoni's publisher PLON for the rights to translate the Adventures of Aldo Morosini. That is especially in the case of Italy very surprising.

The fans of his Highness Aldo Morosini called for more stories each time a new book came out. Two weeks before Benzoni's death in 2016, the last adventure of Aldo Morosini, Le Vol du Sancy: Des Carats pour Ava? was published by Plon. It was not as some newspapers in their death notice wrote, a new police series but the 15th adventure of Aldo Morosini and his gang. Acclaimed French historian, author and specialist in precious stones and high jewellery, Vincent Meylan wrote in his obituary for Benzoni "Aldo Morosini, the Venetian Prince is in mourning..."

Press

Before the time of Internet, Media like newspapers, journals, or book catalogs, informed about new publications. Nowadays it will do to go Online search, to write the name of an author - and anything worth knowing can be found at one swoop. In the case of an Author like Benzoni whose career lasted from 1962 - 2016, it is simply impossible to put hands on a contemporary document. Now that Online Media websites boom, it is much simpler to get information. However, these are mainly articles back from 2003 when Benzoni was already over Eighty years old. But Benzoni was not only an ardent collector of stones but also of newspaper articles, photos and letters of famous people, which she kept in a large box at her home.

On 31 October 2009 the author invited two of her most faithful fans - who through exciting detours had come into contact with her. Benzoni who had the day before celebrated her 89nd birthday was curious to get to know the two fans who had each of them (from different countries) dedicated a website to their favourite author. This Rendez-vous was going to be one of those encounters which would be for both participants memorable and the begin of a beautiful friendship which lasted until her death in 2016. She called them "Les filles des grands chemins" based on the title of her 4th Novel of the Catherine series "Catherine des grands chemins" (English title: Catherine and Arnaud). As a result of this she dedicated to them the 11th adventure of the Aldo Morosini series. It was the very first time the author dedicated a Novel to «fans». On each of these visits she opened her "magic box" and placed some of the precious material, dating back to 1955 into the hands of her trusthworthy friends. Resulting from this trust, it is possible to see for the very first time on their websites the work history of the beginning of Benzoni's amazing career. Before our eyes arises a dynamic and charming young woman who in 1963 aroused a wave of enthusiasm with her talent.

The Series

Series translated into English:

up to now not translated into English so far.

Short Stories

Single Novels

Filmography

In 1968 the producer of the Angélique films was given the job to turn Catherine, One love is Enough into a film. Alas, it was one of the greatest disappointments in Juliette Benzoni's life. In many interviews she states that when she saw the end product, she cried like a fountain. The producer Bernard Broderie had completely changed her story – and as a result the film flopped at the cinema. For the author the adventure cinema was a topic never to be mentioned again. Yet when French television approached her for the adaption of her second bestseller Marianne, a star for Napoleon with acclaimed director Marion Sarraut to be in charge, she agreed.

In the Press review 1983 “for Marianne, une étoile pour Napoléon” Benzoni writes "Thanks to Marion Sarraut, director after my heart... provided with a heart, sensibility and talent, a great artistic sense and an astonishingly safe flair to choose interpreters”. Quoting from an article in Tele star, dating from 15 March 1986 it says: “I do not want another director as Marion”. Marion Sarraut and Juliette Benzoni were the dream-team, both women had a great admiration for each other. Juliette Benzoni wrote together with Jean Chatenet the screenplay and the television series became a huge success. Confidently she agreed in 1985 to the filming of Catherine, il suffit d'un amour. It was to be the longest series so far on French television. Not even the badly placed time of 1:30 pm could stop the stupendous success of Catherine. In 1987 there followed Le Gerfaut (The Lure of the Falcon) introducing the very first time a male hero in the leading role. The last book series to be filmed was La Florentine, one of the book series which was alas also never translated into English.

Catherine was first adapted in 1969 for cinema, a French, German, Italian Production by Bernard Broderie. Four years later Antenne 2 – SFP Production bought the rights for the filming for four of Juliette Benzoni's international book series bestsellers, Marianne, a star for Napoleon, Catherine, One Love is Enough, Le Gerfaut and La Florentine.

Awards and honours

Juliette Benzoni received in 1973 the Alexandre Dumas Prix for her complete work at that time, the Catherine and the Marianne series. The prize was precious to her, she had been a fervent admiress of Alexander Dumas since her childhood. She mentioned in the Magazine Littéraire that the medal was always on her working table. In 1988 Académie française, (founded in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu) had chosen her for the Literature prize Prix Louis Barthou, in the form of a silver medal for Félicia au soleil couchant. In 1998 at the age of 78 she received the Knight of National Order of Merit – Chevalier de l'Ordre National, awarded by the President of the French Republic.

Death

Juliette Benzoni died peacefully in her sleep on 7 February, 2016 in Saint-Mandé, two weeks after her last book “Le Vol du Sancy: Des Carrats pour Ava” was published, her daughter Anne at her side. In the book of condolence which was provided online, her readers all over the world expressed there sadness about the death of Juliette Benzoni She is buried at the Cemetery in Saint-Mandè Sud, where also her Mother, her late husband and her beloved son lie.