Marchesa Luisa Casati (1881-1957) was one of the most flamboyant celebrities in Europe. With her life and love stories, the Italian noblewoman astonished and fascinated the continent: she collected palaces and a menagerie of exotic animals in Venice, Rome, Capri, and Paris. Painters and sculptors portrayed her, poets praised her exotic beauty, and fashion designers vied for her favor. Among her admirers were Gabriele D'Annunzio, Man Ray, Augustus John, Kees van Dongen, Erté, and Jack Kerouac. At the beginning of the century, she was adored as Italy's richest heiress, but she had to flee to London in the 1930s in poverty, where she lived until her death in 1957, supported by friends. Her fascinating life was commemorated on stage by Vivien Leigh and in film by Ingrid Bergman. To this day, her lifestyle and style continue to inspire fashion designers like John Galliano.