Birth Name: Vittoria Marisa Schiaparelli Berenson
Place of Birth: New York City, New York, U.S.
Date of Birth: February 15, 1947
Ethnicity:
*Ashkenazi Jewish (father)
*Swiss-French, Breton, Polish (maternal grandfather)
*Italian (maternal grandmother)
Marisa Berenson is an American actress and model. Marisa’s sister was photographer Berinthia “Berry” Berenson, who died in the September 11 attacks. Berinthia was married to actor Anthony Perkins.
Marisa is the daughter of socialite Gogo Schiaparelli (born Maria-Luisa Yvonne Radha de Wendt de Kerlor) and diplomat Robert Lawrence Berenson.
Marisa’s father was Jewish, with roots in Lithuania. His family’s surname was originally spelt “Valvrojenski”. Marisa’s mother had Italian, Swiss-French, Breton, and Polish roots.
Marisa’s paternal grandfather was James Berenson. Marisa is a second cousin, once removed, of art historian Bernard Berenson and athlete and educator Senda Berenson, who is one of the first two women elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Marisa’s maternal grandfather was Wilhelm Wendt de Kerlor. Wilhelm was born in Switzerland, of French, Breton, and Polish descent.
Marisa’s maternal grandmother was Elsa Luisa Maria Schiaparelli (the daughter of Celestino Schiaparelli and Maria-Luisa Domenitis). Elsa was a prominent fashion designer, from Rome, Italy. Celestino was from Piedmont, and was the son of Luigi Schiaparelli. Maria-Luisa was from a Neapolitan family, of aristocratic background. Elsa’s uncle, Giovanni Schiaparelli, was a prominent astronomer.
Sources: Genealogy of Marisa Berenson – http://www.geni.com
http://www.theguardian.com
http://www.telegraph.co.uk
Frocking Life: Searching For Elsa Schiaparelli – https://books.google.com.br
Photo by Denis Makarenko/www.bigstockphoto.com