Maria Carmi Italian theater and film actress Date of Birth: 03.03.1880 Country: Italy

1. Biography of Maria Carmi
2. Early Life and Education
3. Successful Career
4. Prince Matchabelli and Spiritual Journey
5. Later Years and Legacy

Biography of Maria Carmi

Maria Carmi was an Italian theater and film actress, known for her work in Germany during the era of silent films. She later became famous under the name Princess Norina Machiavelli.

Early Life and Education

Maria Carmi was born on March 3, 1880, in Florence, Italy. Her father was Italian, and her mother was originally from Austria. During her childhood, Norina contracted tuberculosis and spent some time receiving treatment in Switzerland. She pursued acting as a career and studied at Max Reinhardt's theater school in Germany. After completing her training, she adopted the stage name Maria Carmi and worked at Reinhardt's theater from 1907 to 1909. During this time, Norina married the playwright and dramatist Karl Vollmöller.

Successful Career

After the success of the play "Miracle" in theaters across Europe, Reinhardt decided to adapt it into a film in 1912. This marked Maria's debut in cinema. Two years later, she appeared in another film adaptation of her play called "Venetian Night," with Vollmöller as the screenwriter and Reinhardt as the director. Maria enjoyed success in the film industry, particularly in comedies, until the end of the 1910s.

Prince Matchabelli and Spiritual Journey

Following World War I, Maria divorced Vollmöller and married Georgian Prince Georgi Matchabelli, a former Russian ambassador to Italy. Together, they founded the perfume company Prince Matchabelli and released a fragrance called Princess Norina in 1926. Maria personally designed the crown-shaped bottle. However, in 1933, the Matchabellis separated and sold the company for $250,000.

During the 1930s, Maria became acquainted with an Indian guru named Meher Baba and became a fervent supporter of his teachings. She actively promoted his ideas among her acquaintances and founded the Meher Baba Journal in 1938. In the early 1940s, together with Elizabeth Chaplin Patterson, she established the Meher Spiritual Center, a religious community spanning 500 acres of pine forest in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Later Years and Legacy

Maria Carmi passed away on June 15, 1957, at the age of 77. Her ashes were interred next to Meher Baba's tomb in Ahmednagar, India. Throughout her life, Maria left a lasting impact both as an actress and as a proponent of Meher Baba's teachings. Her contributions to the arts and spirituality continue to be remembered and celebrated.