Historian and author Giorgos Giannikopoulos is the guest on Wednesday, 21.01.2026, at 22:00 (Athens time), on Voice of Greece’s program “Remarkable Personalities”, hosted by Stavroula Karali. Mr Giannikopoulos, author of the book “Sophia de Marbois, Duchess of Plaisance – The Novelised Biography of a Remarkable French Philhellene”, speaks on the program about the Duchess of Plaisance, one of the most enigmatic, eccentric, and contradictory figures in modern Greek history.
With Mr Giannikopoulos’s guidance, the program traces her life in Napoleonic-era France. It also explores her acquaintance with Ioannis Kapodistrias and her fervent philhellenism, which led her to provide financial support, donations, and undertake actions in favour of the Greeks and the newly founded Greek state.
The guest also reveals little-known incidents from the Duchess’s relationship with King Otto and his wife Amalia, as well as with Governor Ioannis Kapodistrias. Mr Giannikopoulos describes details of her social presence in Athens, often considered eccentric by the standards of the time and one that never left Athenian society indifferent.
A central focus of the program is the death of her daughter, Elisa, the embalming of her body, and the great fire that destroyed the Duchess’s home and burned the embalmed body of her daughter—a tragic event that left an indelible mark on the life of the Duchess of Plaisance.
The program also examines the legends that continue to surround her name to this day: her alleged relationship with the bandit Davelis, the “dark” aura of her residences, and the stories that endure in collective memory.
Presented by – Journalistic research: Stavroula Karali
Sound – Editing: Loukas Zois
Broadcast: Wednesday, 21 January 2026, 22:00 (Athens time)
