Dona Maria de la Concepcion butterfly
Dona Maria de la Concepcion butterfly
The XVIII Duke de Plasencia and Dona Maria de la Concepcion lived during the very turbulent and politically unstable years of the Spanish Civil War. They first met in Madrid, by chance on the terrace of the Hotel Universal in 1931, where it was love at first sight. Yet the political situation separated them; the Duke was forced to take refuge in the Romanian embassy while Dona Maria de la Concepcion left for San Sebastian in the north of Spain.
Only twenty years later did they finally marry, in the famous Chapel of Santiago de Compostela. Duke gave this brooch to Dona Maria de la Concepcion during one of their rare encounters in Biarritz, during their time apart. A symbolic gift, the butterfly’s wings represented freedom from the difficult political situation. Also, it was a symbol of their oath and commitment to one another.
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