Name of Object:

Paul Draneht, his wife Adele Casati and their daughter Despina

Location:

Italy

Holding Institution:

Marke Zervudachi Collection

Holding Institution (original language):

Collezione Marke Zervudachi

Date of Object:

c. 1880

Description:

Paul Draneht (1815-1894) was born in Nicosia (Cyprus) as Pavlos Pavlidis. He was the child of a Greek Christian Orthodox family who fled Cyprus to escape the clashes between Greeks and Turks and then took refuge in Egypt.
The Khedive of Egypt sent him to study in France. He later had a brilliant career in service to the Khedive participating in the negotiations on the opening of the Suez Canal. He became superintendent of the Egyptian Opera Theatre and commissioned the opera Aida to the Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi.
Paul Draneht married Adelaide Casati, the daughter of a cello player who performed at the Aida premiere. Their daughter Despina Draneht married a Greek businessman, Emmanuel Zervudachi.

Type of Object

Photograph

Citation of this web page:

Massimiliano Cremona, Ignazio Galella "Paul Draneht, his wife Adele Casati and their daughter Despina" in "Sharing History", Museum With No Frontiers, 2026.
https://sharinghistory.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;AWE;it;78;en

Prepared by: Massimiliano Cremona, Ignazio Galella
Copyedited by: Anne Dowell

MWNF Working Number: IT1 078